One for the money, Two for the pride
by Amber Nectar
Summary: CHAPTER 23 UPLOADED! I know, i know. It's been years. Enjoy!
1. Default Chapter

Authors notes.  
  
Disclaimer - Unfortunately I do not own the wonder that is gone in 60 seconds (boohoo!) nor did I invent it or any of the characters.  
  
I love gone in 60 seconds, and am guessing that as you are here you do too! So I hope you enjoy this, and that it does some kind of justice to the fabulous film that we all know and love! Please review if you get chance, I thrive on feedback and knowing that people are reading my stuff is a motivation beyond belief! Anyway, again I say ENJOY!  
  
Prologue.  
  
2 years after the death of Raymond Caletri and the infamous 50-car boost, Randall 'Memphis' Raines has finally begun to settle down. He owns a share of Otto Halliwell's garage, and also a long Island flat with his girlfriend Sara 'Sway' Wayland. He has his friends and family close by him, and lives a much quieter, happier life. Things change. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.  
  
Memphis hummed along to his radio as he worked under the hood of an old Ford Pickup. The familiar roar of a motorbike made him look up from his work and smile. He walked out onto the garage driveway, wiping his hands on a rag as he went.  
  
The black bike pulled up in front of him.  
  
"Hi." He said as Sway climbed off her beloved Yamaha. She was sporting her usual black leather Capri pants and long charcoal-grey duster.  
  
"Hey." She smiled and walked towards him as she shook her long, blonde dreadlocks free from her helmet. "Busy day?"  
  
"Nah, not bad." He greeted her with a kiss and they walked together back into the garage. Sway placed her helmet on the roof of the pickup and leaned back against the side of it, her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
"Hey Otto. How's it goin'?"  
  
"Fine thanks love." Otto was about the only person Memphis had ever known to survive calling Sway 'love'. He'd tried it himself once, and had earned himself a look that had ensured he never had again.  
  
Otto rested his pen on the stack of papers in front of him and took off his glasses "You got much done on the old Tourer?"  
  
Sway had ditched her job at a garage to help an old friend from high school build up a touring car. They had acquired the engine and shell for a Subaru Impretza, after a very successful night at the card table, and its restoration was an ongoing process.  
  
"Not bad, Rachel's gonna see if she can find us a new front axel tomorrow."  
  
"By find, I hope you mean buy, not 'borrow'." Memphis cut in.  
  
Sway shot him a mischievous little grin that Otto had to laugh at. Although Sway was basically clean now, she had never been able to completely rid herself of her wild criminal streak.  
  
She pushed herself away from the truck and circled it her eyebrows raised.  
  
"I have to say Mr. Raines, this is a mighty fine heap of junk you got yourself here!" Memphis laughed, "I know. Don't know why they don't just drop the old girl off at the junkyard. Third time she's been in this month." He patted the hood affectionately.  
  
Sway bent down behind the truck and stared thoughtfully at it.  
  
"Well I know a certain touring car that could use a nice fat tailpipe like this if anyone does decide to put her to rest."  
  
"Don't even go there Sway." Warned Otto "We are not dismantling any more of our clients cars for you, there was enough trouble last time you 'borrowed' parts."  
  
Sway giggled and straightened up.  
  
"Hey Junie." She waved as Otto's wife entered the garage from the backroom.  
  
"Hello Sway honey. You two kids staying for dinner?"  
  
"Thanks Junie but I think we'll be getting home. A frozen pizza calls!" Said Memphis grinning.  
  
"Honestly Sway." Junie folded her arms "You should learn to cook, you can't keep feeding your poor man frozen meals."  
  
"I aint feeding him shit." Said Sway one eyebrow quirked "He can feed himself. The day he asks me where his dinner is, is the day he looses his manhood. Aint that right Mr. Raines?"  
  
Memphis laughed and held his hands up in front of his body. "I wouldn't even dare."  
  
Junie shook her head and smiled at the wayward young woman. Since the big boost, Memphis and Sway had become a regular fixture in her's and Otto's lives, what with Memphis buying into the business. She felt a strange compulsion to protect the two of them, even though they were more than old enough to (an capable of) looking after themselves, she still enjoyed to play something of a mom too them.  
  
"Well if you're sure. Its pot roast." She tried to tempt the young couple one last time.  
  
"No thanks Junie. We'll be fine." Sway picked her bike helmet up off the Fords roof and began to walk toward the garage door. "See ya tomorrow."  
  
At that moment an earth shattering bang echoed through the small space. Tools fell from the walls and metal-shelving units crashed to the floor.  
  
"Sway!" Shouted Memphis as he rugby tackled her to the floor, a large wheel jack smashing down in the spot she had just been standing.  
  
Junie screamed out and Otto instinctively ducked down under his desk. They all lay stunned for a second and as the dust settled, the state of the garage came into view. The concrete floor was barely visible beneath car parts and tools, the small wooden door at the garage entrance was hanging on one hinge and the shock wave had caused the old ford pickup to collapse onto its wheel arches.  
  
"You Ok?" breathed Memphis into Sways ear. She was face down on the floor with Memphis lying on top of her. She ignored his question and rolled him off her.  
  
"What the fuck was that!!?" She scrambled up and stalked towards the now battered door. Memphis climbed to his feet and looked across at Otto who just stared blankly back at him. Junie was crouched in a corner shock predominant on her face.  
  
From outside the garage they heard Sway scream.  
  
"Noooooooo! Josephine. Oh god! NO!"  
  
Memphis ran to the door and cursed under his breath at what he saw on the driveway.  
  
Sway was knelt on the floor, her head in her hands, the wreckage of her beloved bike strewn around her in a hundred pieces. She straightened up and threw her head back, her eyes closed.  
  
"Memphis," She said through gritted teeth "Who. The fuck. DID THIS!!!" with the last two words, she jumped to her feet and kicked a large piece of smoking bike chassis across the drive.  
  
"Hey, hey." Memphis ran forwards and grabbed her shoulders "Calm down. Sway," She twisted around and he tried to gain eye contact with her "Sway," She stopped struggling and looked directly at him "Calm down."  
  
She took a shaky breath and blinked hard. Memphis noticed a glassy sheen in her eyes and gathered her up in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.  
  
"Shhh." He rocked her slightly and kissed the top of her head "calm down."  
  
Just then his mobile rang and he stepped away pulling it from his jacket pocket. Sway turned around, her back to him, and scanned the debris in front of her, hands on her hips, her jaw clenched tight.  
  
"Hello." Memphis answered the call.  
  
"Raines!" Said a voice on the end of the line "How ya doin' boy?"  
  
"Johnny B?" He asked. Sway spun around and stared at Memphis her eyes narrowed, her breathing steadily increasing.  
  
"Yea! Well done Raines." Memphis looked Sway in the eyes. She shook her head in disbelief, the anger on her face rising and then she lunged at Memphis.  
  
"Give me the goddamn phone." He held her off "MEMPHIS! GIVE ME THE GODDAMN PHONE!"  
  
"Sway." He grabbed her arm and shook his head. He heard Johnny chuckle in his ear.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!" screamed Sway "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" she wrenched herself from Memphis's grip and kicked the wall behind her in rage.  
  
"You still not managed to tame that pretty little thing yet boy?"  
  
"What do you want Johnny?"  
  
"What's this! Like I can't jus' ring up for a chat with an old buddy. An old bud who got me sent to jail for the past two years."  
  
Memphis chuckled slightly.  
  
"Don't you dare laugh boy!" Shouted Johnny "Two years. Two damn years I got for the little stunt you pulled in the café parkin' lot. They didn't jus' get me for illegal arms you know!"  
  
"Oh really?" Said Memphis noncommittally  
  
"Yeah really. You boy, you got me nailed for a whole bunch of boosts and other shit! Cops, they hold grudges. They catch you doin' one thing wrong, they get you for everything else you ever done."  
  
"Goddamn cops eh?"  
  
"Yeah. But as far as I figure, I got some scores to settle with you too boy."  
  
Memphis suddenly felt his stomach sink "What kind of scores?" He said quietly.  
  
"Can you imagine what you might be scraping up of that there driveway if your pretty little woman had been two minutes later getting here?"  
  
His legs suddenly felt weak and he whipped round to look at Sway who stood opposite him, her brow furrowed. He didn't take his eyes off hers as he replied to Johnny through gritted teeth.  
  
"You even so much as touch her I swear to god I will kill you, and feed you to my dog, you here me?." Sways sucked in a sharp breath and began to breathe heavily.  
  
Johnny laughed "Rough talk for such a little boy. You know?" He paused "You should tell her she shouldn't wear black so often, makes her look rough, you know what I'm sayin'?"  
  
Memphis whipped around and scanned the area around the garage.  
  
"That's right. I can see you boy. And your pretty woman. Damn she sexy when she's all heated up."  
  
"Sway get inside!" Barked Memphis.  
  
"What?" She looked around uneasily.  
  
"Please." She stayed for a few more seconds, searching Memphis's dark green eyes. After noticing the pleading and fear within them, she turned begrudgingly on her heel and walked back into the relative safety of the garage.  
  
Memphis drew a long breath as he watched her retreating back, and then focussed his attention back to the phone call.  
  
"What do you want?" He asked calmly.  
  
"Now you're talking boy!"  
  
  
  
*** End chapter 1 *** 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.  
  
Memphis waited on the line with baited breath for the ultimatum to be laid out before him.  
  
"You cost me two years of my life Raines, an' therefore should pay for it. We got a score to settle. Don't you think that's fair?"  
  
"Well as far as I can see, it was you that broke the law and therefore you cost yourself."  
  
"Shut the hell up Raines!!! You really don't wanna be messin' with me right now! You think that bike is the only thing I can blow up? Next time I might get your girl!!"  
  
"Okay, Okay." Said Memphis quickly "I'm listening." As much as he hated to give Johnny the satisfaction of controlling him, he wasn't about to jeopardize Sway's life for the sake of his pride. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
"I want you out of my life Raines. I don't ever want to set eyes on you again. You see, I considered just smokin' your little woman outright, but decided to give her a chance. That way, if I didn't get her, you'd know I was serious. I want you out of Long beach Raines. You and your little posse you got goin' there. And I want that garage and your flat. It's hard to find work when you just got out. The boosters think you're a liability, and for some reason my local super store don't wanna know me." He paused waiting for a response from Memphis "You still listening to me Raines?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah I'm listening." Memphis looked back at Otto's garage. He thought about the life he'd just built up here. About Otto and Junie. About his Mum and her happiness that he was home (and honest). He thought about Kip and their ongoing battle to help him leave boosting behind. He thought about Sway and how every morning he woke up next to her in their home, and she told him how happy she was. Could he really just collect their lives up and put them in a removals van as easily as he could their furniture? Then Sway flashed into his mind again. He couldn't risk her, but at the same time he couldn't shatter her world and move it somewhere else all because of some stunt he'd pulled two years ago. Then he had an idea.  
  
"So if I don't leave long beach, you're going to kill my girlfriend. Is that what you're saying?"  
  
"Yeh Raines. Do you want me to spell it out in the sky?"  
  
"No I get it. Its just." He paused  
  
"Just what? What's so hard to understand about that? You leave, the girl lives."  
  
"Well don't you think, for a notorious Boost such as yourself, that that seems a little, you know, weak?"  
  
"What!!!!! Raines, you got a hearing problem or something."  
  
"No, no, no." Memphis shook his head "Its just, wouldn't you prefer to drive me out of long beach in a way that's gonna earn you respect and get you back onto the guest list of those Boosters you said won't employ you anymore?"  
  
Johnny was quiet for a second. Memphis knew he had hit the spot.  
  
"Go on, I'm listening."  
  
"Well, how bout you give me till, lets say midnight tonight, that's four and a half hours, to think up a bet that gives me a chance of staying."  
  
"And why would I want to do that? And don't give me all that street-cred shit, cause I aint buying it. Why would I want to give you a chance when I could just as easily get rid of you, no fuss?"  
  
"Because this way, you could win something too. The winner stays in long beach and gets," Memphis quickly thought up a suitable figure "$10,000 from the loser, and the respect of winning. What do you think?"  
  
"$10,000 aint much Raines."  
  
"Yeah, but you just came out of jail so you can't have made that much money in the last two years. Besides this aint about money is it, really. Like you said, we've got a score to settle. Lets settle it."  
  
"Call me at midnight and we'll see what you come up with." Johnny hung up and Memphis shut off his phone.  
  
He couldn't help realising that in the space of a two-minute call, his life had been turned back upside down. That scared him. He sighed and turned around back towards the garage. Sway was stood leaning on the doorframe; the look on her face told him that she had only caught the second half of his conversation.  
  
"You fucking hypocrite." She hissed shaking her head "All you've been teaching Kip about staying clean, and as soon as your old playmate comes back, you're all out for settling damn scores!"  
  
"Sway," He tried to reason "Its not what you think."  
  
"The hell its not! You know how hard I have to work to stay clean?"  
  
"I know Sway. I…."  
  
"I don't wanna hear it. You aint dragging me back into this shit Memphis. I've been jerked around by you one too many times."  
  
"Sway." Memphis took as step towards her, but she walked back into the garage. Before he could reach the door, she had returned with a set of keys in her hands.  
  
"Sway please." She stormed past him and Memphis realised that the keys belonged to Eleanor. "Sway, what are you doing." He asked warily.  
  
She spun around and stared at him viciously "What, so you can revert back to the life, like that," She clicked her fingers "But I can't?! I'm going for a joyride."  
  
And with that, she unlocked the Mustang, jumped behind the drivers seat and tore out of the driveway. Memphis flinched as she threw the car into a bend and disappeared leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. He wasn't flinching for the car though; foremost in his mind was the worry of Sway driving when she was angry. He had discovered the problems that this posed earlier in the year, when she had driven off on her bike after a they had had a fight and crashed it into the back of another driver. She had been lucky to escape with minor injuries, a broken collarbone and numerous bruises, but that was all it was, luck. He didn't want to find out if her luck would hold out a second time, and ran into the garage to get a set of cars keys.  
  
***  
  
Sway floored the Mustang along the freeway. She was furious, a fire burned inside her chest and she found it hard to slow her breathing. She didn't have a short fuse, but when it blew, it blew! The engine roared and the sound of the sexy car soothed her slightly. Then she thought of Memphis, and the promises he had made her, and she thought of Johnny B and her bike.  
  
Josephine. The image of her beautiful sleek black Yamaha lodged in her mind. She clenched her jaw so tightly it made her teeth hurt and her eyes narrowed.  
  
"BASTARD!!" She screamed pounding her fists on the steering wheel. The clock read 110mph. She stroked the nitrous boost in the shifter and a sly smile crept across her lips.  
  
"Come on then Eleanor baby," She swung the GT500 around a Porsche doing a pitiful 80mph in front of her and stopped level with it in the next lane. The businessman in the drivers seat glanced across at her and winked. "Burn baby burn." She said to herself and blew a sultry kiss to the suit as she slammed her finger down on the red button.  
  
***  
  
Memphis ran into the garage.  
  
"Otto I need a car." Otto looked up at him. He was kneeling on the floor picking up some of the fallen tools.  
  
"What's been going on out there Memphis?" Asked Otto standing up "Sway said you sent her inside. Why? What's happening? What's gotten her so mad?"  
  
"Johnny B rang." Said Memphis rummaging in the desk draw for Otto's car keys. "He wants us to leave Long Beach. That explosion was Sways bike."  
  
"I'd gathered that."  
  
Memphis straightened up looking around the wreckage of a garage. Where were the damned keys?  
  
"Well have you thought what would have happened if Sway had left Rachel's two minutes later?"  
  
"Oh shit." Said Otto squeezing his eyes shut and massaging his temples with his thumb and forefinger.  
  
"Exactly. Oh shit. If we don't leave he says he'll kill her. And I believe him." He shuffled through the key rack. The ford, a Shelby AC cobra up on jacks, and set of the door keys. "Otto where the hell are your keys?"  
  
Otto ignored his question "So you're going to leave?"  
  
"No I persuaded him to take a bet with me. I have to get back to him at midnight with a suitable one."  
  
"And this is the only bit of the conversation Sway caught right?"  
  
"Bingo." Said Memphis "And now she's fuming and has gone off in Eleanor."  
  
"Oh god. This just gets better" Otto shook his head "Angry Sway and speed don't go. You remember what happened last time?"  
  
"Its all I can think about" Memphis shuffled papers around on the workbench hoping to locate the keys there.  
  
"You got any nitrous in her?"  
  
Memphis looked up at Otto.  
  
"Exactly why I need your car."  
  
  
  
***End chapter 2*** 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.  
  
"My car's not here." Said Otto "I loaned it to Kip this morning. He was getting itchy." Memphis's brother had been having a very hard time getting away from the life the others had successfully left behind. He was hooked, and like addicts, her got cravings. Otto owned a sleek, flame red, 1963 Corvette Stingray coupe. Kips favourite relief tonic.  
  
"Shit!" Cursed Memphis. "I need to find her Otto." He looked across at the Cobra. It would take too long to get that down off the jacks. On the opposite side of the garage, the pickup caught in his vision out of the corner of his eye. He pulled they keys off the rack behind him and jumped into the battered old vehicle.  
  
"I think you'll need a push" Said Otto positioning himself behind the car "Okay, on three. One, two, three!" Otto heaved against the Ford and it began to roll slowly forwards. Memphis turned the key in the ignition and it rumbled to life coughing and emitting a slightly worrying cloud of black smoke from under the hood.  
  
"Find her Memphis, before she goes and does something stupid."  
  
"I will." He said as he pulled out of the garage and jerked around the corner disappearing from view.  
  
Otto sighed as he watched him go "I hope you do." He said quietly to himself before returning his attention back to his wrecked garage.  
  
***  
  
"YES!!!" Shouted Sway as the Nitrous kicked in and the car lurched forwards. The engine roared and the needle on the clock hovered on 150mph. She glanced up in her mirror at the fading Porsche and laughed at the bewildered look on the face of the businessman inside it.  
  
She began to instantly feel better as she weaved the speeding car in and out of the traffic before her. The accelerator beneath her foot gave her a sense of extreme power. She closed her eyes for a second and savoured the feeling whilst it lasted. The clock began to slowly drop back down towards a more normal reading as the nitrous ran out. Sway eased her foot off the accelerator, but at 120mph, by the time she noticed what was ahead of her, it was already too late.  
  
***  
  
Memphis shivered as the cold night air blasted through the windows of the Pickup. It was 10:30pm and after driving around for three and a half hours, he had had no success in finding Sway, and was on his way back to their apartment building. The fact that he had not discovered a wreckage of a mangled Ford Mustang was a relief, however he was still worried how far Sway might have ventured. The truck lurched forwards as he shifted down into 1st and pulled into the car lot.  
  
He stopped in a space about eight cars down from the buildings entrance and turned off the engine. The struggling Ford shuddered to a standstill, and out of the corner of his eye, Memphis noticed something that made is heart rise in his chest.  
  
In a parking space, shining under a streetlamp, sat a now rather well used looking Eleanor. He gripped the top of the pickup's steering wheel and dropped his head onto his hands sighing a huge sigh of relief.  
  
"Don't worry your beloved Eleanor's back in one piece." The voice made him jump and Memphis whipped his head to the left to see Sway stood at his window, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Jesus Sway!" He said, "It wasn't the Goddamned car I was worried about." He reached out to touch her arm, but she turned and walked away. He wrestled with the door, creaked it open and jumped out of the truck, following her up to the tall building.  
  
"Here you go." She said throwing the keys to Eleanor over her shoulder without even looking back at him.  
  
"Where the hell have you been Sway?" She ignored her question and took the stairs up to their apartment two at a time. She suddenly stopped and spun around.  
  
"You might need some more Nitrous cylinders."  
  
"Jesus Sway! You could have…."  
  
"Don't worry! I didn't crash! Didn't break your Eleanor. Got me a nice speeding ticket though." She turned back around and continued up the stairs to their floor.  
  
"Where the hell did you use it!?"  
  
"Freeway." She replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"Jesus Sway!"  
  
"You said that. Twice."  
  
"I know. Didn't you think that I wouldn't be worried about you…"  
  
"I think I can just about manage to drive a car Memphis." She threw a 'look' at him over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to apartment number 76.  
  
"You don't remember what happened last time then?"  
  
She didn't reply and instead walked into the living room of their home and switched on the lights. Memphis closed the door and leaned back against it, his head tipped back, eyes closed. He heard Sway throw her jacket on a chair and flop down on the sofa. She clicked on the TV and the sounds from an old Western movie blared out into the small room.  
  
Memphis straightened up "Sway I need to talk to you."  
  
"Talk, sure, talk. Hey haven't I said that to you before. Like last time you deserted me and came back expecting-"  
  
"Sway I'm not deserting you."  
  
"As good as. You're trying to drag me back into this life, the life I've tried so damned hard to leave behind -"  
  
"Sway-"  
  
She jumped to her feet and turned the western off  
  
"No, shut the hell up! You know why I'm so pissed? Its 'cause you're the reason I stay clean. I stupidly thought," She began to pace the room furiously "that I couldn't let you down! That the only reason I even bother to try staying away from the life is because I don't want you to be dragged back with me! Well fool me, 'cause it looks like you couldn't really give a shit could you!"  
  
Memphis shook his head "Sway, listen to me…"  
  
"No! Why the fuck should I! You go and play with your little friend. See if I care!" She marched off towards the bedroom, her end of the argument closed.  
  
"He's going to kill you!" Shouted Memphis. He had been trying to let this in gently, but Sway wasn't listening and it was the only way he could think to get her attention. He screwed his eyes shut as she stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"What." She said softly, never turning around.  
  
"Johnny B. If we don't get out of long beach, he's gonna kill you."  
  
She turned around to face him, her eyes searching his. "So what's all this about a bet?"  
  
"I convinced him to make it into a bet so we've at least got a chance of staying. I have to think one up by midnight or else we're out of here. "  
  
Sway sunk down into a recliner and put her head in her hands.  
  
"Oh god." She said quietly, barely above a whisper, "I can't believe this is happening again."  
  
Memphis walked across the room and sat on the arm of the chair. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"We'll sort this. I promise. I won't let him hurt you."  
  
She sat up and looked at him "Jesus Memphis, I don't need protecting!" She grinned to show that she was joking and Memphis laughed.  
  
"Tell you what, if we do win this, you can have some 'fun' with Johnny in the name of Josephine!" He leant forwards as he spoke his lips barely millimetres from Sway's.  
  
"Now you're talking!" She smiled, and kissed him.  
  
  
  
***End chapter 3*** 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.  
  
Otto was knelt on the floor of the garage salvaging some of his less damaged tools when Junie shouted in to him from outside.  
  
"Otto, Memphis is here and it looks like Sway's with him!"  
  
His heart rose in his chest and the heavy weight that had been resting in his gut for the past couple of hours disappeared as he clambered to his feet "Thank God." He said to himself as he made his way outside to stand with his wife.  
  
They watched as Eleanor pulled up the drive and Memphis and Sway climbed out.  
  
"You nearly gave us a heart attack girl, don't you ever pull that one again." Otto walked to meet the pair and playfully punched Sway on the shoulder. She grinned but it never quite reached her eyes. She stood next to Junie who placed an arm around the young woman's waist and watched her surveying the ground where the broken remains of her dream had previously been lying.  
  
"We cleared the pieces away." Said Junie softly.  
  
Sway looked up at her and nodded, her blue eyes tarnished with pain. Junie had never really understood the connections that these people had with their cars (or in this case Bikes), but she knew that that bike had meant everything to the young woman standing beside her, and losing it was as if she had lost a child.  
  
The four walked back into the garage together and Sway let out a long whistle as she noticed the carnage around her.  
  
"Whoa, Jesus Otto, that is one hell of a mess!"  
  
"Yep," Otto replied sighing "Tell me about it."  
  
"We need to come up with a bet." Interjected Memphis suddenly "I know this is something that we would rather ignore, but it isn't going to happen. We have to face up to this, this is happening and there is nothing we can do about it." He looked over a Sway who glanced away, "We can't just leave our homes and our lives behind for scum like Johnny, we have to fight for this."  
  
"We know," Said Otto softly, placing a hand on Memphis's shoulder "but we cant do this alone. How much time do we have?"  
  
Memphis looked down at his watch "45 minutes."  
  
"Lets get going on this then." Said Otto forcefully. Sway and Memphis pulled mobile phones out of their pockets and Otto picked up the garage landline. "Time to re-unite the gang." Mumbled Junie quietly to herself as she walked out to make some coffee, leaving behind her the sounds of urgent conversation into three separate phones.  
  
***  
  
As Memphis scanned the room he got a sense of ironic dejavu at the sight before him. Kip, Tumbler, Mirror Man and Freb sat lounging on one of Otto's desks and the area surrounding it, unable to hide the curiosity and excitement from their faces. Sphinx lent against a wall in the shadows an enigma as ever. Otto stood besides him deep in his own thoughts and Sway sat in a chair, arms crossed across her chest looking at Memphis tensely.  
  
"Is everyone here," asked Memphis "Where's Toby?"  
  
"Er, I told him not to come unless we need him," answered Kip running a hand through his mussed hair "after what happened last time I thought-"  
  
Memphis nodded and Kip trailed off.  
  
"Right guys I guess you all know what going on here, Johnny B's back in town and he aint happy," Memphis looked around at them all "he wants us all out of long beach."  
  
"And if we don't go?" Asked Tumbler.  
  
Memphis glanced across at Sway who quickly lowered her gaze "You don't want to know." He said keeping his eyes on her.  
  
"So, like, what's all this about a bet then?" Kip raked a hand through his hair again as he spoke.  
  
"Well, Johnny aint too bright," everyone smirked as Memphis said this "and I managed to convince him that this was about pride as well as revenge. If we can come up with a decent bet in," He looked at his watch "10 minutes, he will take it and we got a chance to stay and earn some cash in the process." He took a deep breath "I understand that this is hard for you all, but we need to do this and I need your help."  
  
They all nodded, and agreements of "Sure" were muttered.  
  
"Good, then we need to get thinking, we need to find something that he-" He cut off as Sway pushed back her chair and walked from the garage.  
  
"Sway," He called after her "Keep thinking." He said to the rest of them as he followed his girlfriend out of the door.  
  
***  
  
Sway stood against the garage wall, head back, eyes closed.  
  
"Sway." Memphis prompted softly.  
  
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes "I can't do this." She said staring straight ahead.  
  
"You don't have to boost if you don't want to. We need plenty of people behind the scenes as well."  
  
She turned to look at him shaking her head "No Memphis, I can't do this." She gestured around herself "Look at you, you're doing things that you vowed never to do again-"  
  
"I don't have a choice Sway you know that."  
  
"Exactly Memphis. You don't have a choice. Because of me, I'm the reason that all this is happening-"  
  
"Your not the reason, you just happen to be the unlucky one that Johnny picked on."  
  
"Yeah." Sway looked down at her feet and drew a deep breath "I think I should leave Memphis."  
  
"What!" Memphis walked around in front of her and grabbed her arms urgently "You're going nowhere Sway, I need you right now."  
  
She looked him in the eyes "Memphis, if I leave, Johnny holds nothing against you. You can end this stupid bet-"  
  
"Until he picks the next of you for ransom. Kip, Junie, Mom, you, you're all the same to him Sway, a way to get at me." He sighed and kissed her forehead gently "If anyone should leave Sway, it should be me, but I can't." He removed his hand from her arms and rested them against the wall behind her, leaning in to her body.  
  
She looked away for a second unsure and confused as to what she should do, and then when her eyes met his she knew that there was no way she could leave this man. She had fallen in love with him all over again and would do anything she could to help him through this. She nodded and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
"I know Memphis, I'm sorry."  
  
"I won't let him hurt you Sway," Memphis spoke severely "We are going to do this and we are going to do this together." He pushed back of the wall and held a fist out in front of her at waist level "You with me?"  
  
Sway smiled at his outstretched fist. A gesture to start a handshake they had had along time ago, when they had boosted cars together, as a living. She brought her own fist down on top of his and then did the same to the underside.  
  
"I'm with you." She grinned and grabbed his jacket lapels pulling him in to her and covering his mouth with her own.  
  
They stood together locked in a long embrace, before being interrupted by someone clearing their throat to their left. They quickly pulled apart and Kip grinned at them.  
  
"We're waiting for you guys in there."  
  
"Okay," Said Sway pulling her jacket back onto her shoulders "We're coming now Kip."  
  
Memphis looked at her inquisitively "Are you sure?"  
  
She nodded once and took his hand in hers, walking with him and Kip back into the garage, a plan already formulating in her mind.  
  
  
  
*** end chapter 4 *** 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.  
  
"Any ideas?" Asked Memphis as he returned to the front of the group. Sway sat down on the edge of a desk next to Kip who flung a casual arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Like, what is there, that we can do, but he can't?" He asked shrugging  
  
"Steal cars." Snorted Tumbler. Kip laughed but Memphis stayed quiet.  
  
"We make it something he can relate to." Interjected Sway suddenly. Memphis looked at her,  
  
"You have an idea?"  
  
She nodded  
  
"Yeah," She stood up and began to pace back and forth "The only language he seems to understand is that of the big green dollar right?" They all nodded "So, this doesn't just need to be about status and pride, we need to make it one for the money."  
  
"Yeah, but we 'aint got no money to give him!" Said Kip. Sway waved a dismissive hand at him,  
  
"Not literally, that's the thing," She looked at Memphis now talking solely to him  
  
"We've done the whole, how many cars can you steal thing, but how bout this time we don't make it about numbers. How bout this time we see how much car we can boost."  
  
"Eh?" Kip and the others frowned at her obviously puzzled, but a small smile crept across Memphis's face. She never let him down.  
  
"What Sway is trying to say Kip, is that she is a genius and has just come up with a bet he will never refuse!" He kissed her lightly on the forehead and she laughed softly.  
  
"Guys," Otto pointed at his watch "Hate to interrupt, but its 12 o clock."  
  
Memphis nodded and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.  
  
"Lets just hope this works," He muttered to himself as it began to ring in his hand.  
  
***  
  
Sway stood alone outside whilst her friends gathered around Memphis in the garage, hanging on every word he muttered down the phone. She closed her eyes and felt the sting of despairing tears behind her eyelids. She drew a long and distinctly shaky breath and opened them, unable to shake the schoolgirl wish that when she did it would all be gone. She raised the cigarette to her lips and savored the soothing nicotine. It had been nearly four years since she had last felt she needed one, it made her realized how shot her nerves must be. Even the situation two years ago hadn't caused a revolt back into the world of Kools.  
  
She stared at Eleanor sitting on the driveway. Gleaming silver through the heavy dark of the midnight sky. She imagined herself climbing behind the wheel and driving away, away from it all. Blasting off into the night and forgetting everything. But she couldn't do that, it wasn't her style, it wasn't Sway. So, she flicked the butt of her cigarette to the ground, turned on her heel and walked back. Head held high, face uncaring, eyes hard, Sway all over.  
  
***  
  
Memphis briefly noticed Sway walk across the garage and settle in the shadows, before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.  
  
The long silence down the phone was now beginning to make him feel physically sick, this had to work; he had to agree to this.  
  
"So let me get this straight," said Johnny eventually "We do a one night boost, from say 8pm till 8am, stealin' as many cars as we can?"  
  
"Yep," answered Memphis "And the winner of the bet is the team that has the most moneys worth of cars in their garage at the end of it."  
  
"So we'd be aiming for all the top-end cars?"  
  
"Well yeah, that would make sense. You can steal as many cars as you like, but you have to have the highest cash total, deducting any repairs that would need to be made at the end of it all."  
  
The line went silent again. Memphis looked over at Sway and she stared back at him, expectantly.  
  
"OK." Johnny answered eventually.  
  
"What? You'll do it."  
  
"Yeah boy, I'll do it."  
  
Memphis gave Sway and the rest of the team a thumbs-up, and silent high fives were thrown.  
  
"So when?" asked Memphis.  
  
"How bout Friday night."  
  
***  
  
Memphis and Sway didn't get back to their apartment until 1.30am. After Memphis had finished his conversation with Johnny, there had been a short- lived celebration before they all went home.  
  
Memphis unlocked the door and flicked on the lights. He walked over to the big leather sofa where Sway had been sitting just over 3 hours ago furious with him, and leant back, closing his eyes, savoring the comfort.  
  
He listened to Sway as she threw her jacket over the back of a chair and walked towards the kitchen. It was a habit that, at first had annoyed him, he had bugged her hundreds of times about hanging her coat up, but one day had come home to find their entire wardrobe piled up on the same chair. He never tried again, she was stubborn, a strong character that took a lot of breaking. Which was exactly why it pained him to see that this was getting to her so intently.  
  
He knew that she had been smoking, and that fact almost panicked him. Sway hadn't smoked for years. Hadn't needed to.  
  
He heard her open the refrigerator door and pop the top off two beers. She returned to the living room and flopped down next to him on the sofa, handing him a drink. They sat in silence together for a few minutes, enjoying the relaxing feeling that the alcohol induced.  
  
Then Sway suddenly drained what was left of her beer, stood up and heaved the bottle at the wall with all the force she could muster.  
  
"FUCKIN' SLIMEY BASTARD!" She shouted making Memphis jump, "What the hell does he think he's trying to pull! I'll kill him, I swear to god I'll kill the mother fucker!"  
  
Memphis laughed at her outburst, he couldn't help it. Tempers he could deal with. Tempers were very Sway, cold, hard and not to be messed with.  
  
She stared at him icily and then began to laugh herself, dropping back down into her seat.  
  
"We're gonna kick his ass." She said matter-of-factly crossing her feet on the coffe table in front of them.  
  
"Yeah we are." Memphis grinned at her and a small wicked smile pulled at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Yeah we are." She repeated as she swiped Memphis's beer off him and took a long swig.  
  
***End chapter 5*** 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.  
  
. 47 hours to bet .  
  
Memphis wandered around the garage taking control of all that was going on around him. He watched as Sway went through reams and reams of car lists with a highlighter pen marking off the most expensive ladies. He directed Kip as he searched the net looking for all the high-class car sales, he helped Donny find every Starbucks, every Savoy hotel and every top-end apartment block in the area.  
  
He was nervous, he knew that the amount of cars that they had already found was more than sufficient for the purpose, and any more would be impossible to steal within the time limit, but he had to cover every angle. He couldn't fail.  
  
He took a break from being leader and stood at a blackboard writing down the cars that Sway shouted over to him.  
  
"Jaguar XKE. Jaguar S type. Aston martin DB7. Dodge viper RT/10,"  
  
The dodge earned a little cheer of approval from Kip, Sway smiled and continued down the list.  
  
"Lincoln Limo. Porsche 911,"  
  
Another cheer, this time from Tumbler and for the Porsche.  
  
"Porsche Boxter,"  
  
"Yeh baby!" Answered Donny  
  
"Lamborghini Countach!"  
  
They all let out whoops, Memphis smiled to himself as he wrote the car down on the board.  
  
"Lamborghini Diablo!"  
  
They all cheered again. Memphis laughed and looked at Sway who had suddenly dipped her eyebrows. She licked her lips and said in a deep husky voice barely above a whisper,  
  
"Ferrari F40."  
  
"Yeh, you do!" shouted Mirror man "That is my kind of car man!"  
  
Sway was still looking at Memphis breathing deeply, pupils dilated. He smiled at the effect the Italian stallion had on her. Even to mention the make of a Ferrari reduced her to a smoldering wreck.  
  
She cleared her throat and continued down her list. The others got back on with their work, fun over. Memphis couldn't help but notice that every car she read out brought a small smile to Sways lips.  
  
***  
  
. 40 Hours to bet .  
  
Sway sat at the same desk she had been at for the past 7 hours. Stacks of paper strewn around in front of her, her fifth highlighter pen running low on ink. She rubbed her eyes in exhaustion and leaned back in her chair.  
  
"Hey Sway!" Called Tumbler from across the garage "slacking already girl?"  
  
She gave him the finger and hunched back over the papers.  
  
Memphis wandered wirily over to her and draped an arm over her shoulder.  
  
"Want to go for a spin?" He murmured into her hair "Clear your head."  
  
She smiled and turned around in the chair to face him.  
  
"Definitely."  
  
"I'll get my keys." He said grinning.  
  
"Aaawww!" A voice from the other side of the room made them all turn and look "Can I come too!?"  
  
"Hey Rach." Chuckled Sway.  
  
Memphis looked at the girl leaning casually against the doorframe and smiled. He could have picked her out of a crowd as one of Sways friends.  
  
She was tall, at about 5ft8", with long dark hair that hung in soft, effortless curls down her back. Her lithe figure sported a pair of low waisted black leather pants, and a short khaki green tank top. This left the majority of her midriff bare, displaying a large tattoo of the Harley eagle on her right hip. She also wore one of those, don't-you-dare-mess- with-me-or-I'll-rip-your-head-off expressions that he saw every day on Sway's face.  
  
She winked coyly at Memphis and raised the cigarette she was holding up to her lips taking a long deep drag. "You were right," She said turning her attention to Sway "very cute!"  
  
Memphis raised his eyebrows and looked at Sway.  
  
"Always wanted a mustang." Added Rachel making Memphis smile.  
  
"You didn't have to come." Said Sway swinging her legs up onto the desk in front of her.  
  
Rachel walked over to the two of them and let her eyes linger over the blackboard behind them.  
  
"Oh, but I did." She said a wicked little grin creeping across her beautiful features as she took in the ladies written upon it.  
  
"Sixth one down," Said Sway automatically, gesturing over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, shit." Rachel murmured in the same voice, and with the same expression that Sway had done when reading out the Ferrari.  
  
Memphis laughed quietly to himself as Rachel flung herself over the end of the desk. She was a dark haired version of Sway.  
  
"Rachel is a big, big fan of anything Porsche." Explained Sway. Rachel held up her wrist displaying a tattoo of the rearing horse from the Porsche logo.  
  
"Yeah, and especially anything with the numbers 9, 1 and 1 in it also." She added.  
  
The girls laughed.  
  
"I'll take you for a spin anytime baby." Interjected Tumbler suddenly.  
  
They both stopped laughing abruptly and turned sharply to look at him..  
  
"Yeah?" Cooed Rachel sweetly.  
  
"Yeah." He nodded.  
  
"Try it, and I'll cut off your balls and feed em to ya! You get me?" Her tone of voice had suddenly taken on an edge that made tumbler step back rapidly, and if looks could kill.  
  
"Rachel, Tumbler. Tumbler, Rachel." Introduced Sway as Tumbler slowly crept back into the shadows.  
  
"Yeah." Said Rachel keeping her eyes on his retreated form.  
  
"And that one over there's Donny," Said Sway  
  
Donny raised his hat.  
  
She gestured over to the others "Otto, he owns this place"  
  
"How you doing girl?" Greeted Otto  
  
"That's Sphinx," Sphinx nodded silent as ever.  
  
"Freb," Freb grinned stupidly and a strange squeaking noise was all that he managed to muster.  
  
"Mirror man is the little homie in the shades"  
  
"Hey! Enough of the little girl." Mirror man smiled charmingly at Rachel and bowed his head  
  
"That's kip, Memphis's brother, and incase you hadn't already noticed, this," She added, turning to face him "is Memphis."  
  
Rachel shook his hand with a surprisingly strong grip.  
  
"So," Said Memphis "Can you boost a car?"  
  
Rachel laughed.  
  
"What'd you think?" She grinned.  
  
*** End chapter 6 *** 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.  
  
. 37 hours to bet .  
  
Memphis had taken over from Sway on highlighter duty after he could see it was getting to her. She had begun to rub her eyes every few seconds and was getting frustrated with herself. After the third heavy object sailed from the desk and landed with a thump on the floor followed by an anguished cry from Sway he had relived her and set her on another task. And now, after an hour at the desk he could see why she had been so strained. His eyes seemed completely reluctant to focus on the paper in front of him, so all of the text was merging into one black blur. He had highlighted several ladies at once accidentally so many times he had lost count, and was amazed how Sway's immeasurably short fuse had lasted nearly nine hours hunched over this desk without throwing anything more harmless than a stapler.  
  
He rubbed his tired eyes for the hundredth time, and lent back in the chair exhausted. A familiar, gentle arm snaked its way around his neck and Sway's breath was hot on the back of his neck as she spoke.  
  
"Tough work eh?"  
  
"Mmmm." He murmured kissing her arm softly "How the hell did you manage this for nine hours!?"  
  
She spun the swivel chair around so that he was facing her and shrugged.  
  
"I threw things." She said matter-of-factly.  
  
This brought a grin to Memphis's features, and he pulled her face down towards his and kissed her.  
  
A voice from across the room interrupted their intimate moment.  
  
"Jeez! Get a room will ya, people are trying to eat here!" Sway looked up and smirked at Rachel who had a sandwich paused halfway to her mouth.  
  
Memphis laughed softly and Sway looked back down at him.  
  
"I think now would be just about the perfect time to go for that spin don't you think?" He asked her.  
  
"Yeah." She smiled and reached down pulling his keys from the front pocket of his worn black jeans.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her and she sent him a coy smile, the Ferrari look sinking back into her eyes.  
  
"I think now would also be a good time to go home." She whispered headily into his ear.  
  
***  
  
After he had cleared away his papers and told everyone to finish up and go home, Memphis hurried out of the garage after Sway who had left a couple of minutes earlier. He found her loitering against the hood of the mustang, hands in pockets, staring down at a small fragment of twisted black fiberglass on the ground. He knew exactly where it had come from. Josephine.  
  
She looked up as she heard him approaching and offered him a weak smile.  
  
"You okay baby?" He asked as reached her and slid his arms around her waist.  
  
"I'm fine," She said indignantly, crushing the black shard under the heel of her Doc and looking smolderingly into his eyes "But if you don't get me home soon I won't be held responsible for my actions."  
  
"Really?" He asked as she brought her lips up to his and kissed him hungrily. Her hands slowly traveled up under the back of his shirt and he could feel her nails digging gently into his flesh. The kiss deepened of its own accord until Memphis pulled away breathing heavily.  
  
"Get in the car." He said and Sway grinned running around to the passenger door and sliding into the seat next to him.  
  
***  
  
Rachel watched from the doorway as Memphis's mustang pulled out of the drive and peeled off around the corner. She sighed as she watched the couple go, hoping to god that this crazy plan would work. She knew how much that guy meant to her friend and to loose him in any way would ruin her.  
  
Stepping out of the garage and walking down the drive, a sultry smile returned to Rachel's lips as her baby came into view before her.  
  
"Hey there Maria!" She said as she stroked the roof of her flame red 1984 Porsche 911. It had taken her over 3 years to save up for the very well used second hand classic, and a further year's love and restoration to make it drivable, but now she had it she wouldn't give it up for the world. She had fully cleaned out the interior adding expensive hints of chrome and polished wood, and had also spent a lot of time, effort and money turning her from the original lime green to the sexy red she gleamed in today.  
  
It was her dream come true, she owned something she had wanted her whole life. An original Porsche 911. Someone let out a whistle from behind her making her turn back around in the direction of the garage.  
  
"Man, that is one mighty fine looking honey you got there girl." It was Donny. He took off his black hat and approached her and Maria to get a better look.  
  
Rachel smiled proudly as he inspected her car with awe.  
  
"What is this?" He asked, as he looked over her interior "an 84?"  
  
"Yessir!" Answered Rachel polishing a smudge off the front right headlamp.  
  
"This is in great condition!"  
  
"You should have seen it when I bought it." Laughed Rachel.  
  
"Wow girl you've got talent," Said Donny straightening up to talk to her "You should let Otto see the work you've done here he's always after new restorers."  
  
"Thanks," Said Rachel letting herself into the driver seat "but I'm getting along fine."  
  
"Just a thought." Smiled Donny placing his hat back on his head and shutting the door for her.  
  
She sent him a two-fingered salute through the window and pulled out of the drive.  
  
"Wow." Said Donny to himself as he watched the Porsche snake sleekly around the corner and away "that is some girl."  
  
***  
  
As they approached the freeway, Memphis looked over at Sway. She had her head back against the restraint and her eyes were drooping softly closed. He smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the road. Without being behind the wheel herself, driving at night had always sent Sway to sleep in a matter of minutes.  
  
Memphis cut off the engine after pulling into a spot in their lot and looked over at her again. She was breathing softly her chest moving rhythmically up and down, her intentions from earlier long forgotten. He reached over and brushed a stray strand of hair off her face.  
  
"Sway" He whispered.  
  
"Mmmmm?" She muttered not opening her eyes.  
  
Memphis kissed her brow softly "Come on baby we're home. Wake up." "Mm." She opened her eyes and looked around herself disorientated. "What?"  
  
"We're home." He got out of the car and walked around to undo the passenger door.  
  
Sway groggily undid her seatbelt and dragged her heavy limbs from the car. Clicking the lock button on his key remote Memphis wrapped a steadying arm around his girlfriend's waist.  
  
"Come on." He said, "Lets get you inside."  
  
By the time they had walked the distance up the stairs to their 2nd floor apartment, Sway had woken up and stood yawing as Memphis unlocked the door and flicked on the lights. She followed him inside and flung her jacket over the back of the armchair, he instinctively moved and picked it up, as he always did, hanging it on the back of the door with his own.  
  
In the time it took him to turn back around Sway had disappeared into the kitchen and he could hear the refrigerator door being opened. She returned with two beers and sat down on the sofa to drink hers.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Memphis asked as he sat down next to her and took the second beer from her hand.  
  
"Yes Memphis!" She snapped "Jesus man will you stop asking me. I'm fine."  
  
He looked at her for a second but didn't push it. She'd had a long hard day, and he knew her limits, and what was beyond them.  
  
They sat in silence drinking for a few more minutes before Sway finished hers and set the empty bottle down on the coffee table.  
  
"I'm goin to bed." She said standing up and stretching out "You coming?"  
  
"I'll be there in a sec babe." He replied shaking his nearly empty drink "Just gonna finish this."  
  
"Okay." She leant down and kissed hi briefly on the lips before walking away in the direction of their bedroom.  
  
As he watched her go, Memphis couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. She was far to quiet. He had never expected tears, Sway didn't cry, but he had at least been prepared for shouting, screaming, any way for her to release the aggression he knew she was harboring. He was used to being her punch bag, of course not literally, but if she needed to let off steam he usually bore the brunt of it. Sway threw things, she swore, she never, went to bed early if she was frustrated, and she never, ever, did so quietly.  
  
He drained what was left of his drink, cleared away the empty bottles and padded into the bedroom after Sway.  
  
She already appeared to be asleep as he walked in. He couldn't quite decide if she actually was. He stood above her for a second, gently twisting a blonde dreadlock around his finger, watching her breathing softly. Something was up, and he knew that soon enough he was going to find out what it was, and had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.  
  
***End chapter 7*** 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.  
  
. 28 Hours to bet .  
  
Something jarred Memphis awake. Dragging his mind from its hazy cloud of sleep, he groggily opened his eyes and tried to focus on the blinking red digits of his alarm clock. 4am. He rolled over to see what the hell was going on at 4 in the morning, only to encounter cool sheets besides him.  
  
"Sway?" He mumbled.  
  
"Go back to sleep Memphis." Sway voice drifted over from the other side of the room.  
  
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering why Sway was not where she should be, only to find her standing at their wardrobe, fully dressed, stuffing clothes into a small hold-all. Now he was awake.  
  
"Sway what are you doing?" He asked warily.  
  
"Nothing," she muttered indignantly "Go back to sleep."  
  
The shit had hit the fan. Memphis knew it would soon enough. He pulled back the covers and rose from the bed.  
  
"Sway." He said to her turned back.  
  
She didn't reply, and instead continued to pull clothes from the closet and forcefully ram them into the black bag.  
  
"Sway." He repeated.  
  
"Go, back, to sleep." Sway voice had a tone to it now that Memphis knew all too well. She was trying intensely to keep her cool, and sounded as if she was talking through clenched teeth. Although it was suicide, he knew he had to keep pushing her, she needed to snap.  
  
So he repeated in the same calm voice that grated on Sway so badly.  
  
"Sway."  
  
"WHAT!" She turned towards him, and threw the now full bag in his direction "What the hell do you want!?"  
  
He raised his hands "I just want to know what you're doing, packing a hold- all at 4 in the morning."  
  
"Well, why don't you just go back to sleep and leave me to what ever it is I might be doing!"  
  
"I doubt that's a good idea." He was managing well to maintain his calm exterior and could see the red hot anger boiling up behind Sway's contrasting icy eyes.  
  
"OH FOR FUCKSAKES MEMPHIS!" She screamed at him "Quit with the preacher will you!" She stormed around the bed to where he was standing and snatched up her bag from his feet.  
  
As she rose back up from the ground, Memphis grabbed her arm. She flipped her head up and looked scathingly into his eyes. She was breathing deeply, her hair all over her face, and Memphis could see the fire burning behind her gaze.  
  
"Get the hell off me." She hissed through her teeth.  
  
He prepared himself, and said in his quiet patronizing voice,  
  
"No."  
  
He managed to duck just in time to miss her right hook and clambered over the bed to the other side to avoid a second forceful swing.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" She screamed  
  
"What's wrong with me!?" His calm facade had cracked and Memphis decided it was time to let off his own steam "You're the one packing a bag at 4am in the Goddamn morning!"  
  
"Yeah well," She picked up the bag from where she had dropped it and swung it over her shoulder "You don't have to worry about that anymore because I'm done!"  
  
And with that she stormed from the room. Memphis suddenly felt a well of panic rise up inside him.  
  
"Sway?" He jumped over the bed and followed her "Sway what are you doing?"  
  
"Leaving Memphis. I would have thought that might have been obvious enough!"  
  
"What!?" He ran and caught up with her before she reached the door "Where are you going? You can't!"  
  
"Just watch me boy scout." She muttered as she began to unlock the front door.  
  
"I won't let you go." He ran around in front of her and put himself between her and the door, his back pressed hard against it.  
  
She closed her eyes and took a deep shaky breath.  
  
"Move out of the way Memphis."  
  
He shook his head "I'm not letting you out of here."  
  
Her breathing started to increase again. "Move out, of the way."  
  
"No."  
  
"Memphis. Move out of the Goddamn way!" Her voice had started to rise again.  
  
"I'm not going to let you just walk out!" He shouted back.  
  
"DO YOU WANT ME TO SWING FOR YOU AGAIN!?"  
  
"FINE!" Memphis threw his arms up in the air "HIT ME, SEE IF I GIVE A SHIT!"  
  
"DON'T TEMPT ME MEMPHIS!"  
  
"GO ON THEN!"  
  
Sway drew back her arm in anger.  
  
"You can hit me as hard as you like!" Memphis stared her right in the eye "But I'm never going to let you leave me like this!"  
  
Sway drew shaky breaths through clenched teeth and pulled her fist back further. She looked into Memphis's desperate gaze and something inside her snapped. She couldn't stand this, deep inside him; she could see how panicked Memphis was that she might leave him.  
  
Memphis drew a sigh of relief as he watched Sway's eyes soften and her hand drop to her side. She sunk to her knees and did something which terrified him to his very being. She cried.  
  
He had seen her cry before, but never properly. This time it was more than just a few tears, she was really crying, really hurting. He dropped down with her.  
  
"Sway? Baby?" he reached out to touch her arm, but she pushed him away.  
  
"Get the hell away from me!"  
  
"Sway." He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to encounter tear-streaked cheeks.  
  
"I just can't do this Memphis." She sobbed, "I can't. I'm so sorry, I have to get out of here."  
  
She reached up and brushed a light finger over his lips. "God Memphis, what did we do to deserve this?"  
  
He shook his head gently and kissed the palm of her hand. "Please don't leave me Sway." He looked desperately into her eyes "I need you."  
  
"I just can't do this Memphis, it's so hard! Seeing you and the guys brought into all this again. Kip was doing so well until all this started. I hate it!" She angrily brushed the tears from her face "And it's all because of me!"  
  
Memphis shook his head again "How many times do I have to tell you Sway, it could have been any one of you! You're all just a way to get at me! You leaving won't stop anything, he'll just pick someone else."  
  
"Yeah, but then it won't be my fault anymore will it? And I know that's so selfish of me, but I just can't sit back and watch all this happen."  
  
"You don't think it's hard for me too!? When this actually is my fault!"  
  
"Nobody blames you Memphis."  
  
"Nobody blames you either!"  
  
"Uggghhh!" Sway jumped to her feet in frustration, and was quickly followed by Memphis "We're just going round in circles here!"  
  
He grabbed her hand "Please Sway. You can't go."  
  
He stared at her imploringly for what seemed like a lifetime until she finally shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere Memphis."  
  
"Oh thank God." He sighed pulling her into his arms.  
  
She rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. How could she even consider doing this to him? She couldn't imagine her reaction if she woke up in the middle of the night to have him announce that he was leaving her. Something inside her clicked, she was never going to leave and doubted she could if she'd wanted to; she needed to do something about this.  
  
Memphis lightly kissed the top of her head "I love you Sway, you know that right?" He mumbled into her hair "And you don't have to do this if you don't want to." She nodded gently "You can just stay here and have my dinner waiting for me when I get home!"  
  
She pushed him backwards and playfully punched him in the shoulder "Dream on sweetheart!"  
  
He smiled at her "You comin' back to bed baby?"  
  
"Not yet." She said picking up her keys from the floor "I have to go do something first."  
  
A look of alarm sprang behind his eyes. She held up her hands "Don't worry! I'm coming back." She handed him the hold-all "Unpack this for me will you?"  
  
He leaned in and kissed her "With pleasure!"  
  
Sway grinned and opened the door "I'll be back soon okay?"  
  
"Okay." Memphis watched as the door swung shut behind her and then walked over to the couch, collapsing down into a seat. He sat back and closed his eyes, running his hands over his face, the realization of what he had almost lost washing over him. Johnny was going to pay for this.  
  
The sound of Sway Corvette springing to life and pulling out of the lot below filled the room. Memphis knew exactly where she was going.  
  
*** End chapter 8 *** 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.  
  
Rachel flicked absentmindedly through the TV channels, swigging a beer as she did so. This was the problem with always being awake at this time, you could have the best channels that money could buy, but still there was never anything on past 2am. Rachel had been diagnosed with insomnia a few years earlier; she was given medication but never took it. She had always felt that she didn't need it, a couple of hours sleep a day kept her sane. This time, between about 1 and 5am, was her resting time; she would just sit in a conscious sate of sleep that served her fine before she dozed off for her daily, 2-hour fix.  
  
A knocking at her door pulled her more physically awake. She glanced over at the clock 4:48. Who the hell else would be awake at this time, she wondered as she padded across the room. She drew back the lock and pulled open the door to reveal a disheveled looking Sway standing behind it. Her hair was tousled all over her face, her eyes bloodshot, stricken panic drawn all over her features. Basically, she looked like hell.  
  
"You have to help me Rach. I think I'm cracking up."  
  
***  
  
"Remind me again what we're doing here." Commented Sway as Rachel pulled her 911 up to the door of Otto's garage.  
  
"We're fixing you hun!"  
  
Sway laughed and climbed out of the car, she pulled her keys out of her pocket and threw them to Rachel who unlocked the door and flicked on the lights.  
  
"I've already been here today Rach, it didn't make me feel any better then and sorry to burst your bubble but it aint doin now either."  
  
"Shut the hell up and get your ass over here will you!"  
  
Sway walked over to where Rachel sat on the edge of the desk, her eyebrows raised.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sit!" Commanded Rachel.  
  
Sway sat down cynically.  
  
"Now," Said Rachel "look ahead of you and tell me what you see."  
  
Sway looked up at the blackboard that she had been writing on not 12 hours ago.  
  
"I see a blackboard containing the names of a whole bunch of expensive pieces of tin that are ruining my life!"  
  
"Slap your wrist girl!" Gasped Rachel with mock shock "That's sacrilege, there's a Porsche up on there!"  
  
Sway laughed and shook her head "Seriously Rach, their nothing special really, aint worth shit in the real world-"  
  
"Oh dear God," Moaned Rachel her head in her hands "Its worse than I thought, you really are cracking up, you've lost your faith in cars!"  
  
Sway glanced back up at the board "And the funny thing is I don't care either."  
  
"Are you trying to make me cry!?" Rachel jumped up and stabbed the chalkboard with her finger. "Look at it Sway!"  
  
Sway shrugged indifferently.  
  
"Okay that's it! Who are you and what have you done with my Sway?"  
  
Sway laughed, Rachel was one of the funniest people she had ever met. She was so laid back, nothing fazed her. She sat and watched her lighting up a cigarette absentmindedly scanning the car names a look of hunger behind her eyes. She stood with the confidence of a person who really knew how to look after themselves, and wore a permanent "Don't give me any shit look". As she watched her taking a long drag on her cigarette Sway realized something. This was her! If the tables were turned and she was second party in somebody else's nightmare, this would be exactly like her. It was who Sway was, get on with it, get it sorted.  
  
Rachel sat back down next to her and offered her a smoke. She took one and as she lit it Rachel gestured at the board again.  
  
"I know that this is hard for you Sway, but this is so unlike you. Look at what we have here. Its great!"  
  
Sway smiled her trademark wicked little grin. "I know."  
  
"Think of it this way," Said Rachel "You're like a nun right?"  
  
"What!? Yeah right!"  
  
"You are, you're like a nun, a nun who is just going to have one wild night of passion! And if you're going to break the rules you might as well do it properly! No drunken old men, what you have here my friend is a bunch of gorgeous hotties!"  
  
"That is a good metaphor!" laughed Sway.  
  
"If you're gonna do it wrong babe," Rachel winked at her and then looked back at the board "Do it right!"  
  
Sway laughed and threw her cigarette butt to the floor.  
  
"Seriously Sway," Rachel put a hand on her friends shoulder "What's happened to you? This is not Sway. That," She pointed at the board "is Sway. You need to let go. Have you seen how many Italians there are up there?! We are going to do this, we're gonna steal some cars, have some fun and make some money. What's to be depressed about?!"  
  
Sway grinned a slow sultry smile as she took in what was written before her, it was as if the names were finally coming into focus and some started to jump out at her, the familiar feeling of passion welling up inside her.  
  
Rachel continued to talk "You just have to close your eye's Sway, forget all that this stands for and think of the here and now. Have your fling! The adrenaline as you creep up to her, the feel of the cool metal, the smell as you pop the hood, the noise as you rev her up, the-"  
  
"Alright, alright!" Sway jumped up laughing "Jesus girl what are you trying to do to me."  
  
"Woo!" Cheered Rachel "Ladies and gentleman it appears that Sway has entered the building!"  
  
The two women sat back down and lit up another cigarette each, not once taking their eyes of the board.  
  
"I can't believe you called them 'expensive pieces of tin'" Mumbled Rachel breaking a long silence.  
  
"If you ever tell anyone that, I will take a big sharp rock, and drag it along the right wing of pretty little Maria out there!"  
  
"Now that would be sacrilege!" Grinned Rachel.  
  
***  
  
Memphis heard the door to the apartment click open at about 5:30am. It was followed by the familiar swish of Sway jacket against the back of the chair.  
  
She crept into the bedroom, undressed and climbed into bed next to him. He snaked a gentle arm around her waist and she sighed and snuggled in to him.  
  
"How you feelin' baby?" He asked kissing the top of her head.  
  
She looked up at him and grinned. "I'm feeling," she said huskily "like we still have some unfinished business to attend to from earlier."  
  
"Is that so?" He teased.  
  
"Oh yeah." She said as she lent in and kissed him passionately.  
  
Memphis wasn't sure what Rachel had said to her, but what ever it was it had worked. Sway was back, no doubt about it.  
  
*** End chapter 9 *** 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.  
  
.25 hours to bet.  
  
Less than two hours later, Memphis was harshly pulled from his restful slumber by the unwelcome blare of his alarm. Muttering a few choice words he banged his palm on the top of the obtrusive machine trying to hit the snooze button. His sleep-deprived mind was having some trouble and after about 10 hellish seconds of noise, Sway's hand flew across his chest. She grabbed the alarm and pulled it sharply downward, ripping the wires from its base and dropping the broken object to the floor, before settling gently back onto her pillows.  
  
Memphis smiled to himself and closed his eyes deciding to savor 5 more blissful minutes.  
  
***  
  
.23 hours to bet.  
  
Memphis and Sway bustled into the garage ½ an hour later than the rest of the gang arrived.  
  
"Sorry!" Memphis apologized as he shrugged out of his jacket "we slept in."  
  
"Yeah I'll bet you did." Muttered Rachel ginning lewdly at Sway who simply raised her eyebrows.  
  
"So then boss," said Mirror Man popping the last of a pop tart into his mouth "what's the plan for today?"  
  
"Today we scout." Memphis addressed them all "We need to find all the cars off the list."  
  
"Holy shit. That's one big list you know?'  
  
"I know, I know. We just have to do our best." He turned to Tumbler "You get the mini vans I asked for?"  
  
"Four. Just like you asked. Tinted windows, the works."  
  
"Good man. Okay guys listen up. These are your crews, and the cars on your lists."  
  
***  
  
Less than 30 minutes later the crew was on the road. 3 teams of two and a team of three rode together. Mirror man and Tumbler in one van, Donny and sphinx in another, kip and Freb in another and in the final black van Rachel, Memphis and Sway cruised the streets. Otto and Junie stayed behind the scenes at the garage keeping things ticking over smoothly. Each team had a full car list from the previous days work, 20 of those cars were highlighted for each group. The whole operation was kept together by a set of 5 way walkie-talkies, this way nobody missed a beat.  
  
For a couple of long hours, the only voices riding the airwaves, were those of teams verifying finds and Otto's voice confirming them. It was getting boring. This had always been Sways least favorite part of boosting. The prep she didn't really mind, but the shop she hated. There was no adrenaline rush to keep it interesting, nothing illegal in taking pictures of a couple of peoples cars.  
  
She'd had enough. She picked up their walkie-talkie off the dash and pressed the button.  
  
"TV car trivia?" She asked.  
  
Several exasperated reply's all came at once.  
  
"Hell yes!" "Damn I though no-one was gonna ask" "I'm dying of boredom here!"  
  
Sway heard Otto laugh in appreciation. "Nice one Sway. You want to start us off kid?"  
  
"Ok. Hmmm. Oh I got one!" she looked across at Memphis and grinned. "What's the car on the back of the 10 dollar bill?"  
  
"There's a car on the back of the 10 dollar bill?" Donny asked.  
  
"The hell there is!" Snorted Tumbler  
  
Sway laughed as she heard the rustle of various notes being pulled out of people's pockets.  
  
"Hey. Goddamn girl you right! There is a car here!" Mirror man said, impressed.  
  
"Yeah but what the hell is this thing?" Asked Kip.  
  
"Nothin," Answered Sway "That's the thing. They couldn't endorse any one car, it's a composite."  
  
"That's a good one Sway!" Otto congratulated  
  
"I think so too!" She grinned.  
  
"Ah stop being such a damn show off." Rachel elbowed her.  
  
"Ok then!" Otto enthused "Who's next? Donny?"  
  
***  
  
.18 hours to bet.  
  
"Ok." Said Sway running her finger down the now tattered piece of paper which served as her team's list "Next up we have, yeah baby!" She grinned at Rachel "Ferrari F40!"  
  
"Oooooh! I call it!" Said Memphis raising his hand.  
  
"The hell you do," Sway raised an eyebrow at him "unless you wanna find yourself single and living out of a box on a front stoop!"  
  
He chuckled and turned his eyes back to the road, pulling in just down from the eighth Starbucks they had visited that day.  
  
"Bingo." Rachel pointed across the street to where a tall dark guy climbed out of a sleek red F40 and ran across the road to the coffee house.  
  
"Lovely." Sway breathed.  
  
"I hope you're talking about the car!" Memphis said.  
  
"Of course, Dahling!" She sent him her most innocent look and grinned "Ok, here I go." She reached for her door handle.  
  
"Wait wait wait!" Rachel grabbed her elbow "Take off your coat."  
  
Sway handed Rachel her gray duster obligingly.  
  
"That's better," Rachel commented "Oh, but," She reached across and undid the top two buttons of Sway already precariously low cut black shirt "Bingo!"  
  
Sway blew a kiss to an openmouthed Memphis and jumped out of the van.  
  
"Did you have to do that?" Memphis asked Rachel as he watched his girlfriend push open the door to the Starbucks.  
  
"Yep!"  
  
***  
  
Sway quickly scanned the room for Ferrari boy as she stepped inside the warm coffee house. The smell in the room was making her realize that she hadn't had caffeine in over 4 hours. She spotted him, standing at the end of the bar, waiting for his drink. Play time!  
  
She sauntered across the room just as he picked up his coffee and turned around, making sure that he banged right into her.  
  
"Hey!" She shouted as the hot liquid splashed down the front of her shirt.  
  
"Oh god," he muttered "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"  
  
She looked up into his face and realized that he was actually quite cute. A complete asshole judging by the suit the car and the hairdo, but still quite cute. Time to turn on the charm.  
  
"I'm fine," She smiled apologetically "Sorry I yelled at you, but its been a very long day!"  
  
"Tell me about it." He sent her a slimy grin, and she had to wonder if this guy had ever had a hard day in his life or if Daddy dearest had a hand in the F40 parked across the street.  
  
She sent him a sultry grin and smoothed a hand over her damp shirt.  
  
"I tell you what," He pulled a silver pen out of his top pocket "How bout I give you my number and you can send me the bill for your dry-cleaning?"  
  
God this guy was gross.  
  
She leaned into him and whispered into his ear "This shirt doesn't need dry cleaning."  
  
"You sure?" He twisted a dreadlock around his finger briefly.  
  
Sway raised her eyebrows, held out her hand to him and he wrote his number down on it, the whole time never taking his eyes off her chest.  
  
Definitely an asshole.  
  
***  
  
Memphis gripped the steering wheel of the van as he watched the tall dark suit in the coffee shop slowly scrawl something down on the back of his girlfriends hand.  
  
"My god," Said Rachel "That guy is looking right down her top."  
  
"I know!" Muttered Memphis through clenched teeth.  
  
"Clam down hunny! Look, she's coming now."  
  
They watched as Sway ran back down the street and jumped back into the van.  
  
"You get it?" Asked Rachel.  
  
Sway held out her hand and smiled triumphantly.  
  
"Otto," She said into the walkie-talkie as Memphis started the engine "We got a plate on Nadine and I need you to run an address chase on this number."  
  
***End Chapter 10*** 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.  
  
.17 hours to bet.  
  
By 4pm most of the crews were up to at least the 15th car on their lists and nearly ready to call it a day. All that remained were the tricky ones, ironically the ones that they needed the most, as they tended to be the most expensive.  
  
* Donny watched from their van as Sphinx followed an employee at a dealership around the side of the building, to return a couple of minutes later wearing a too tight uniform and sporting a slightly reddened fist. He then disappeared through the door of an "employees only" section to later return with the plates of three expensive ladies.  
  
* Kip and Freb cruised slowly down a well respected neighborhood on beat up old skate boards, their speed enabling them to scrawl down numbers on the back of their hands as they went.  
  
* Mirror Man and Tumbler circled the car park of a particularly pricey hotel in search of the Rolls that had been allocated to them.  
  
* Rachel sighed as Memphis pulled their truck up across the street from the place she had been looking forward to most. The Porsche dealership.  
  
Not only was this her favorite place it was also her favorite scout as she got to do something much more fun than writing down numbers on a piece of paper.  
  
"You ready Rach?" Asked Sway  
  
"Oh yeah!" Rachel climbed into the back of the van and changed her clothes for the ones that Sway passed over to her. A tiny black skirt, a red silk blouse and stilettos.  
  
"You turn around whilst I'm changing and I'll kill you Memphis Raines." She warned.  
  
"Not if I do first." Muttered Sway.  
  
Memphis held up his hands "I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Good job." Rachel said as she fasted her hair up with two black chopsticks. "Okay! I'm done. What do ya think?" She posed for Sway who reached forward, undoing the top two buttons of the shirt.  
  
"I think you look much better now!"  
  
Rachel laughed and Memphis shook his head "What is it with you two today?"  
  
"Right then." Rachel placed a pair of sunglasses on her head and slung a black bag over her shoulder "See ya!"  
  
Sway watched in amusement as Rachel jumped out of the back of the van and sauntered across the street, wolf whistles following her as she went. It was impossible to tell that Rachel spent most of her life under cars, as far as anyone knew, she was just another posh bird with Daddy's credit card and a pair of legs.  
  
Rachel pushed open the heavy glass door to the showroom and stood looking around, chin in the air.  
  
A suited salesman slid up along side her and offered his hand.  
  
"Good afternoon madam. How can I help you?"  
  
She didn't shake his hand and instead lifted her sunglasses from her eyes and placed them on her head.  
  
"I want to buy a car. All my friends at the society have Porsches now, and I am so sick of driving around in a BMW they are just soooo last season."  
  
"Okay," The salesman retracted his hand sheepishly and gestured around the room "What model were you thinking of exactly."  
  
Rachel exhaled impatiently "Do I seriously look like I know anything about cars?" She stared at him levelly.  
  
"Well, I -"  
  
"Listen," She paused "What is your name?"  
  
"George, madam."  
  
"Listen George," She stalked away from him and began to sashay around the room waving her sunglasses around "I need a big shiny car that looks good and will make all my girlfriends jealous. I don't care what wheels it has as long as there are four of them and they're expensive. I don't care what makes it move, as long as it does and it's expensive! I don't care what it is but I have Daddy's credit card and LOTS of taste, so please," She stared at him briefly "Just show me them all!"  
  
"Well of course, we don't have every Porsche model here-"  
  
"Did you not hear me? My Father has given an unlimited budget for this car! I don't want to see ALL of the models, I want to see the most expensive ones." She smiled at him sweetly and pulled Otto's gold card from the bag she was carrying, waving it purposely under his nose.  
  
"Well then madam! Lets see what we can do shall we."  
  
***  
  
Sway and Memphis sat patiently in the van watching Rachel prance around the sales room. Memphis checked his watch, 3:30pm. They had to be back at the garage in half an hour and Rachel didn't look nearly finished with her now petrified looking salesclerk.  
  
"She's good isn't she?" Said Sway as she watched Rachel through her passenger window.  
  
"She's taking her sweet time about it." Memphis pulled the sleeve of his jacket back down over his watch.  
  
"Lighten up! She's enjoying herself, she'll be done soon."  
  
"You've changed you tune." He raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend who simply shrugged.  
  
"Maybe I'm starting to enjoy myself again. And besides if this all falls through I have the number of a very rich guy with a Ferrari so I'm set either way!"  
  
"Hey!" Memphis playfully punched her on the arm and she laughed and clambered over to sit on his knee.  
  
"I also know this other guy who has a very cute little Mustang."  
  
"Oh really? And what's he like?"  
  
"A pain in the ass." She mumbled as she leant in and kissed him.  
  
They were interrupted seconds later by the passenger door opening.  
  
"Oh Jeez! Will you two get a room already!"  
  
Sway laughed. "You get them?"  
  
"Of course!" She held up some sheets of paper and placed the dark glasses back over her eyes, "I mean, Porsches are just soooo this season aren't they!"  
  
***  
  
Back at Otto's, Memphis, Sway, and Rachel were the last team to arrive. Tumbler, Kip, Freb and Mirror Man nearly fell off their chairs as they watched Rachel immerge from the van wear a tiny black mini skirt and a half unbuttoned shirt.  
  
"She wasn't wearing that this morning was she?" Mirror Man asked, never taking his eyes off her.  
  
"No man. I would have noticed." Tumbler replied.  
  
The group assembled around the board at the back of the room.  
  
"Okay!" Said Memphis after inspecting it for a couple of minutes. "Good job guys, we did well. We aren't going to be boosting in daylight so we still have the majority of tomorrow available for last minute prep. We did well," He repeated "And I want to thank you again for doing this for me. Again."  
  
They all laughed and Sway moved next to him and slid an arm around his waist.  
  
"Who's up for a club?" She asked.  
  
***End Chapter 11*** 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12.  
  
. 1 hour to bet .  
  
Memphis sat and stared at the hands of the clock on his bedroom wall as they clicked onto 7am. 1 hour to go. Scary.  
  
He hadn't slept all night, hadn't been able to. He knew it was stupid, he had to be awake and alert for another 24 straight hours yet, but he had always got like this before big boosts. It almost brought back a sense of nostalgia for years past, sitting there watching the clock, Sway asleep besides him.  
  
Although the bet was due to start in 1 hour, he had told the crew to have a rest this morning. They would meet up at nine and start the day then. There was no need to be at the garage by 8am, they didn't have much left to do in their daylight hours anyway, except sit and wait for the cover of darkness to fall.  
  
He looked back up at the clock. 7.02am. This was going to be a long morning.  
. 20 minutes to bet .  
  
Rachel sighed and clicked off the TV.  
  
"I'm gonna call and cancel that crappy cable" She thought. She never even watched it during the day and at night when she sat wide-awake looking for entertainment; all it did was waste her money.  
  
She stood and stretched out her aching muscles. It was 7.43am. She loved this time of day, very few others were up and it was quiet and empty outside. She decided to take full advantage of that fact and picked up a basketball from the corner of her living room. The hoop on the driveway of her building would soon be swarming with bratty little kids so she left her apartment to get in 20 good minutes before they woke up.  
. 10 minutes to bet .  
  
Sphinx walked into his kitchen and placed 4 pieces of bacon under the grill. He looked up at the clock as he sliced up a loaf. 7.48am, the bacon would be ready at 7.52 and 8 minutes after that, the bet would begin.  
  
He shrugged, took a scrap of meat from his refrigerator and made his way into his bedroom. He stopped at the window and opened it. A few seconds later a big black tomcat appeared on the windowsill and purred at Sphinx who placed the ham scrap in front of his regular visitor.  
. 5 minutes to bet .  
  
Kip rolled over in his bed and yawned. He groggily forced his eyes open and waited for them to focus on the blinking red digits on his alarm. 7.55am. Oh shit. Five minutes and this all began. Oh shit! What time was he supposed to be at the garage!? He picked his cell phone up off the floor and hit speed dial 7. Tumbler.  
. 1 minute to bet .  
  
Memphis watched numbly as the second hand traveled slowly around. 55 seconds, 40 seconds, 38 seconds.  
  
Sway stirred besides him. He glanced down at her and then back up at the clock. She pulled herself up against her pillows and swept the hair off her face.  
  
20 seconds.  
  
"You didn't sleep did you?" she asked, her voice husky.  
  
15 seconds.  
  
"Nope." He shook his head but didn't take his eyes off the clock.  
  
Sway sighed and rubbed her eyes. Too many early mornings. After this, she was going to go out and get very drunk and then sleep of the hangover for a good couple of days.  
  
Memphis drew in a deep breath as the second hand swept up towards 11.  
  
5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3, 2, 1.  
  
"Lets play ball." He muttered.  
. 8.55am .  
  
Otto listened to the sound of Sways Corvette pulling up in the driveway. It was unfamiliar. He was so used to hearing the bike.  
  
Memphis had already been at the garage for half an hour. Otto had been expecting that he would arrive early, he never used to sleep before big boosts and was always eager to get on with things as soon as possible.  
  
Memphis sat at the desk doing final name checks on the ladies, he looked up as Sway entered and she walked over to sit with him. They were all here now. All except Rachel.  
  
"Hey Sway!" Tumbler called out from the back of the room "Where's that hot friend of yours? She bottle it?"  
  
"Jesus Tumbler its not even nine yet, give her a chance! I only just got here myself, did you think I'd bottled it?"  
  
"Wouldn't put it past you." He muttered under his breath, not quite quiet enough.  
  
"What did you say!?" Sway leapt up of the desk and stalked towards him.  
  
"Nothing." Tumbler raised his hands "I said nothing."  
  
"Didn't sound like nothing to me you dumb f - "  
  
"Easy Sway." Memphis caught her arm form behind "Just leave it."  
  
She turned and stared at him, her eyes hard and flecked with the familiar fire of her anger.  
  
"And tumbler," Memphis looked over at him "Shut the hell up."  
  
"Okay, okay! All right man. And sorry Sway baby."  
  
"Baby me and you'll be peeing through a catheter!" Sway glared.  
  
They all turned around as Rachel laughed from behind them. "Well, looks like all the fun started without me this morning didn't it!"  
  
*** End chapter 12 *** 


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13.  
  
. 2.15pm .  
  
Memphis stood back and scanned the garage. Some of the crew were doing last little bits of prep, but if he was honest he had to admit that there wasn't much else to be done. The others sat around impatiently waiting, anticipation hung heavy in the air around them.  
  
Donny stood at the board, hands in pockets, staring at the ladies written upon it. Memorizing the names, not that he actually needed to. Boosting as a long career sharpened the memory, especially where car names were concerned. For the most part, they used the same names over, but where new cars were concerned there was always a story behind the choice to help jog the mind. For example, a Ferrari F33 was a new one to make the boosting list, named Sara in honor of Sway.  
  
Memphis watched Sphinx, enveloped in the shadows as ever, his angular features accented in the dim light. He stood sharpening and polishing his flick blade, alone, silent. Although they occasionally got the odd word out of him, Memphis sometimes wished he could have a real conversation with Sphinx. As he watched him, he realized that he knew nothing about the man who had saved his life and come to aid situations like this more times than he could remember. He owed him so much, but never got the chance to repay his debts. After this was over, Sphinx would undoubtedly disappear again, probably waiting in the shadows until the next time he was called upon.  
  
Obviously aware that someone was watching him, Sphinx turned and nodded at Memphis who offered a weak smile and looked away.  
  
Sway was draped across a swivel chair that kip sat in, talking with him, her head tipped back, dreadlocks brushing the floor as he gently swung the chair from side to side with his feet. Memphis couldn't help but envy the friendship his girlfriend had with kip. They were so comfortable with each other, and could sit and talk for hours on end. Although he knew that there was nothing to worry about. Sway could dance around naked in front of Kip and he probably wouldn't even notice!  
  
Rachel stood in the doorway chain-smoking and staring into the distance through dark sunglasses. Memphis couldn't help but wonder if she knew how stunning she actually was, loitering casually against the doorframe, all tattoos, leather and mystery. He smiled to himself as he remembered the first time he'd met Sway. He'd been having lots of trouble with some tricky Italian ladies that he needed for a big order, and someone had given him Sways number. She had dark hair herself back then, rearing horse on her abdomen, black on black ensemble and lots of bravado. He thought she was great, and within five minutes of meeting her she had knocked him flat on his ass and given him a black eye.  
  
It looked as is Tumbler and Mirror Man were heading for the same fate. They hung off her every word as it was and if her mechanical skills lived up to their reputation, they would be even worse before the day was through. Tumbler had managed to recover from his near miss with Sway, and if he kept his distance he would be fine. They were all just a little hyper charged, emotions running high. The only problem was the only emotion his little crew had managed to muster so far was rage.  
  
His chain of thought was broken by a familiar voice from across the room.  
  
"Hey Memphis!" Sway yelled, looking at him upside-down over the side of the chair "What time is it?"  
  
"About 5 minutes after the last time you asked." He replied.  
  
"Argh!" She sat up in frustration "This is getting so old! I hate all this waiting around shit!"  
  
"You're right. Hey everyone!" Memphis addressed the whole group "Over here a minute I want a word."  
  
"Get up baby." Said Kip to Sway "Show a bit of leg."  
  
She laughed, got up and pushed Kip over towards where the others were gathering around Memphis.  
  
"Okay guys. I know this is getting dull now, waitin around, but we can't do anything in daylight. I'm sorry but it's just too risky. You know the rules, if a crewmember gets caught, the other team wins."  
  
He looked around at the gang most of whom were nodding in agreement.  
  
"You might as well all go out for a few hours. I'll give you one more brief on the rules now, and then you can leave. Do your own thing 'till about 4.00pm, and then come back here. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah that sounds good man." Replied Kip.  
  
"Okay then." Memphis sat down on the edge of a desk and folded his arms across his chest. "You all know how much this means to me. We have to win this bet, you need to be one hundred percent sure of what's goin on tonight." Sway strolled over and sat behind him, her arms around his neck resting her head on his shoulder. "Each team can have no more than 10 boosters. We have our 9," He nodded at them in turn "Donny, Sphinx, Kip, Mirror, Tumbler, Freb, Rachel and Me and Sway. Otto and Junie are gonna stay behind the scenes to keep things ticking over here, and if we need an extra, I've tracked down Frankie Fish."  
  
"What!" Sway exclaimed "I goddamn hate that smarmy piece of shit!"  
  
"I know." Said Memphis turning too look at her "But we need him Sway, he's a good boost and we have a space spare."  
  
"Hmm." Sway frowned but stopped her argument.  
  
"Like I said if any of the10 members get caught its all over." He looked around to check that everyone was taking what he was saying in.  
  
"We load the cars into two adjacent warehouses down by the pier. This way we can keep an eye on the other team and make sure there's no cheating taking place.  
  
Each team is also to allocate a scout, someone to stay at their warehouse and look after things. Sphinx, you got a guy on that right?"  
  
Sphinx nodded, silently. A slow, simple, head up, down and back to the center.  
  
Memphis drew in a deep breath. "This is going to be hard guys. I know we've prepared all this to the letter, but things can still go wrong okay? We have to be focused. We need as many cars from the list as possible, starting with the top ladies, and working our way down." He paused for a second.  
  
"If anyone wants to back out, now's the time."  
  
"We're with you man." Nodded Tumbler.  
  
"Hell yeah! Have you seen the girls up there on that list dog?" Mirror man gestured at the board and whistled "Sexy, dude!"  
  
Memphis laughed and stood up, Sway dropping down behind him off the desk "Okay. Back here at four and remember guys, lay low. We don't want any - "  
  
He was interrupted by someone crashing through the doorway, tripping over and landing spread eagled, facedown on the floor behind them. They all turned around and stared over at the panting figure. It was Toby.  
  
"Toby man! What in God's name are you doing here! I told you to stay out of this." Kip grasped him by the back off his shirt and hauled him up off the ground.  
  
"I - they - gotta tell you - " He bent over at the waist and took some deep breaths "Jonny B - "  
  
"Memphis stepped forward urgently "What about him?"  
  
"He's started already. I tell ya, dudes crazy man. Hes boosting. Broad daylight!"  
  
"How the hell do you know this Toby?" Asked Kip accusingly.  
  
"Well I kinda mighta tapped into their phone lines and you know, listened a little."  
  
"Holy shit Toby! What are you trying to get us caught - "Kip was cut short by Memphis's laughter.  
  
He walked over and patted Toby on the back "Nice work kid." He shrugged at the rest of the group who were now staring at him open mouthed "Oh come on! Like he's not gonna cheat!"  
  
Sway smiled at him.  
  
"Well, what do we do now boss?" Asked Donny "Cuz the way I figure it, they got what, a 3 and a half hour head start on us?"  
  
"Yeah." Memphis muttered and stood thinking for a second "Everyone still with me?"  
  
They all nodded yes.  
  
"Okay, get your stuff. We're starting. We'll go to addresses and if owners are at work we'll find out where and get em there."  
  
"Woo!" Cheered Mirror man "Party time!"  
  
"Toby, you stay here with Otto and Junie. We need your skills." Said Memphis  
  
"Sure man."  
  
"Donny." Memphis gestured to the desk "You know what to do."  
  
Donny nodded, a grin of satisfaction on his face as he hit play on the tape recorder and Low Rider filled the airwaves.  
  
They all closed their eyes and listened, even the younger crew kept quiet.  
  
After a couple of minutes Memphis spoke "You all still ready?"  
  
"Lets ride." Said sway throwing on her heavy black duster and grinning.  
  
They all grabbed their bags and a set of keys per pair, and set off towards the door. Rachel stopped as she reached Toby, bent down and kissed him square on the lips.  
  
"You're a cute one." She said as she stood up.  
  
"Woo!" Shouted sway as she spun around to face Rachel, jogging backwards through the door grinning. "Look out ladies, we're comin to get ya!"  
  
"Hell yeah!" Laughed Rachel as she lit up a smoke and followed her, leaving Toby sitting open mouthed and breathless.  
  
*** End chapter 13 ***  
  
Authors note - Just want to apologize in advance that the next chapter may take a while. Boost scenes are hard to write! But don't worry, you will get it soon enough. AN x 


	15. 14 Lamborghini

Chapter 14.  
  
. 2.33pm .  
  
The crew pilled into two black SUV's that stood in the driveway. Brand new, tinted windows, fake plates. Rachel, Memphis, Sway, Tumbler and Mirror man into one, Donny, Sphinx, Kip and Freb into another.  
  
Otto watched from the door of the garage as they pulled away, and swept around the corner leaving nothing but clouds of dust in their wake. He pulled his walkie-talkie from his pocket and pushed the talk button,  
  
"Good luck guys." He said "Think fast and be careful."  
  
"We will." Came a reply over the waves, and to everyone's amazement, it was Sphinx.  
  
***  
  
Mirror man eased his car up to the curb opposite a small office parking lot. In a space at prime view was a gleaming silver Lamborghini Diablo. The corner of Sways mouth pulled up a fraction of an inch and she patted her coat to check that she had all she needed.  
  
"See you guys later" She said reaching for her door handle.  
  
"Wait." Memphis grabbed her arm and pointed over at a figure immerging from the building. The man pulled a key chain from his pocket and beeped off the alarm to the Lamborghini.  
  
"Ah shit!" Cursed Mirror "He's heading for our pick."  
  
"Yeah, but he just made our lives a hell of a lot quieter!" Tumbler muttered  
  
"I'll stall him." Said Rachel, jumping from the SUV and heading across the street. She pushed the talk button on the walkie-talkie in her pocket and put it on lock, so that they could all hear what was going on.  
  
"Hey there." She beamed, "Do you have a minute? I'm kinda lost!" She sashayed over to him and turned so that he stood with his back to the car.  
  
Memphis smiled and shook his head, the girl had balls.  
  
"Sure baby!" The guy leered at Rachel "Where is it you want to go?"  
  
"Well, to be honest I don't really know! How 'bout I tell you what building I'm going to and you see if you can help me."  
  
"Okay cupcake. Fire away!"  
  
Memphis turned in the car and smiled at Sway over his shoulder "You ready?"  
  
"You betcha." She grinned.  
  
"Okay, go. But be fast, and quiet, they're not that far away."  
  
Sway nodded and slid silently out of the car. She crept across the street, and dropped down at the side of the Lamborghini.  
  
"Okay." Said the office guy as Rachel finished an elaborate story about ballet school and non-existent theatres "I think I can help you."  
  
"Yeah right!" Snorted tumbler "How many ballerinas did you ever see in Docs and leather pants!"  
  
Memphis didn't respond. He sat staring straight ahead watching Sway intently as she expertly jimmied her way into the car, looking up from her work every couple of seconds to check that Rachel was still talking. There was a soft pop and in a flash she was in and behind the wheel. She took a deep breath. Italy, leather, gasoline. Her kind of heaven.  
  
She reached up under the steering column and pulled down a lone wire. She didn't need to check which one she had, she knew, she had done this too many times. She snipped it and at the same time slid a thin switch blade into the ignition. The car roared to life and Sway relished the powerful sound.  
  
Rachel heard the noise before the suit did and she quickly flung her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug to distract him.  
  
"Thank you," She whispered sweetly into his ear "Thank you so much."  
  
"Your welcome baby." He pulled away and grinned at her "You want a ride there? I have a real nice sports car I could take you in."  
  
"Oh yeah." She raised her eyebrows innocently "Which one?"  
  
He turned around and pointed at the empty spot where the Lamborghini had been.  
  
Sway was nowhere to be seen.  
  
His jaw dropped open and a small, pathetic squeak escaped his mouth.  
  
"What the?" He turned back to Rachel. "My fucking cars been stolen!"  
  
Rachel let out a girly huff "Yeah, whatever!"  
  
"It has!" He exclaimed, "It was right there in that fucking spot!!"  
  
"Sure, sure it was cupcake." Rachel turned on her heel and stalked back across the street, to the SUV, leaving the suit standing dumbly staring at his parking spot.  
  
"She pulled the lock off her walkie-talkie and hauled it from her pocket as she climbed in the car. "30 seconds Sway. Not bad."  
  
There was no response.  
  
"Sway?" Memphis clicked the talk button on his own receiver.  
  
The roar of a car came floating over the airwaves.  
  
"You okay?" Asked Memphis.  
  
"Lamborghini." Sway whispered headily.  
  
Memphis smiled and shook his head. That was all they were going to get from her.  
  
"Ouch." Said Tumbler "I think that guy might be having a hernia." He pointed over at the Lamborghini owner who stood in the same spot, his mouth opening and closing wildly.  
  
"Yeah well, leachy bastard deserves all he gets!" Rachel snarled, "People like that should not be able to drive cars like THAT! Right Sway?"  
  
Still no reply.  
  
"We've lost her until she's parked that car." Commented Memphis matter-of- factly "Now can we get out of here before that guy notices that Rachel isn't the only one in this car?"  
  
"You're the boss dude." Mirror started up the SUV and made a U-turn in the road.  
  
As the car pulled away an headed back down the street Memphis looked out of the window and took a deep, slow breath.  
  
"One down." He said more to himself than anyone else.  
  
*** End Chapter 14 ***  
Author's note - Okay, so its short! I know, but hey it's a chapter right? I'm sorry folks, I'll try and make the next one a bit longer! 


	16. Mazda, Mercedes and Melissa

Chapter 15.  
  
. 2.56pm .  
  
As the remaining members of Sway's crew headed for their next boost; across town Sphinx, Donny, Kip and Freb pulled up into a high school parking lot. There were no people around at the moment, but they all knew that in about 4 minutes time the concrete would be bustling with over excited high school kids on their way home.  
  
The four of them had arrived at their address to find the driveway empty and after an amount of concerned-relative acting from Donny; they had discovered via the neighbors that the owner of the car would be in school until 3.00pm.  
  
Kip slid the van into park and cut the engine.  
  
"What the hell kind of high school kid has a Mazda MX-5 for a car? Seriously!" He exclaimed "I had a beat up old piece o' shit that barely even moved." He shook his head.  
  
"I don't know," Donny said passing Sphinx a tool kit, but I'm not really sure if I want to find out either, so can we just do this please. Sphinx?"  
  
Sphinx nodded, dropped down out of the SUV, and stalked across the lot to the tiny black sports car.  
  
"Hardly what you'd call inconstituous is he?" Snorted Freb.  
  
"No, an not only because the word is inconspicuous." Kip laughed and the color in Freb's cheeks upped a couple of notches.  
  
Sphinx reached the Mazda and looked around quickly. No one in sight. He looked down and wrinkled his nose. Pile of crap plastic car. This was not a real automobile; it was a matchbox-car with a gas pedal. Sphinx liked his cars big, classic and stylish.  
  
He expertly assessed the locking system and raised an eyebrow. This was going to be easier than he had anticipated; dumb ass high school kid forgot to lock up.  
  
He stepped forward and pulled the door open, cramming his huge frame behind the wheel of the tiny car. He pulled a screwdriver from his coat pocket and stripped the panel from the steering column, after a brief scan he pushed a Gizmo into the ignition and with a quick flick of his wrist the car caught and rumbled to life. He backed out of the parking space and pulled off out of the school gates followed shortly after by the black SUV.  
  
Kip pushed the talk button on his receiver.  
  
"10 seconds Wayland! He beat you girl."  
  
"Yeah, but only because his car wasn't locked up." Donny cut in "Don't worry Sway, that one didn't count, you're still at the top of the score board!"  
  
Sway sat down on the desk at Otto's "Always have been, always will be." She sighed matter-of-factly into her walkie-talkie  
  
"Very sure of your self aren't you Miss Wayland." Memphis's voice floated across the airwaves from the other van.  
  
"Only because its true my dear," she chuckled "You guys don't hold shit on me."  
  
"Want a bet?" Asked Memphis.  
  
"Funny," Sway replied sarcastically "now I'm confused as to what we've been doing all along!"  
  
"Ha ha." He scoffed "Okay, how about this. I will bet you the boost of the F40 that I can beat your time."  
  
"You are kidding right!"  
  
"Aaaaw. Is the little girl scared?" Memphis taunted.  
  
"Uh Oh." Mirror man cut in "You dead now dude, that girls gonna kill you!"  
  
Rachel picked up her receiver "Sway. You better do this girl, don't let the side down."  
  
"I don't intend to." She answered, "You're on Memphis Raines, and you better watch your back sweetheart! You 'little girl' me and you live to regret it!"  
  
"Is that a promise?" Memphis asked suggestively.  
  
***  
  
Sphinx pulled the Mazda up to door of Otto's garage. As soon as he had exited it, it was picked up by a runner and driven back off to the waiting warehouse, which now contained a single lone Lamborghini, courtesy of Sway.  
  
"Liana's home." Otto spoke into the receiver whilst crossing out the car on the list. "Easy one I hear Sphinx."  
  
Sphinx shrugged, a gesture that told Otto "they all are".  
  
Sway pulled on her jacket and tossed Sphinx a set of keys. "You ready?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Then lets ride. Otto, boost sheet please."  
  
Otto handed the young woman a piece of paper with an address and a single female name printed upon it. Melissa. Sway knew it well, an Aston Martin Vanquish. She pushed the paper through a shredder; the address memorized, and looked up at Sphinx.  
  
"Thish one's mine Mishter Bond."  
  
She wiggled her eyebrows at him and they left the garage and climbed into an old Honda accord - a dumping car. Sphinx would drop Sway off at the Aston boost and take the Honda off to the next alone, where he would then dump the now traceless car and drive back in his boost. A simple system that had worked for the crew for years.  
  
Otto watched them go, a mixed expression on his face. He was getting too old for this and the fact that Sway was so obviously enjoying this so much caused conflicting emotions within him. He was happy that she was coping, but it was a bit too much like old times. A twinge in his chest made him gasp and cough briefly.  
  
"Definitely too old for this." He muttered to himself.  
  
***  
  
.3.07PM.  
  
Memphis crept up alongside the 1999 Mercedes Benz SL, a hungry grin on his face. This was the first time he had done this in along time, and as he stood there besides the gleaming master piece he couldn't help thinking that it far too long in his opinion.  
  
He slipped a Slim Jim down the door panel and knelt down in front of the front headlamp, working quickly he removed the bulb, and stretching out so that he had one hand on the Slim Jim, sparked the bulb wires with a screw driver, at the same time pulling up sharply on the Jim.  
  
A soft pop escaped from the door panel and he pulled on the handle, giving the alarm only the change to beep once before he had his arm under the hood and snipped the wires.  
  
As he pulled her out of the multi rise car tower he picked up his receiver.  
  
"Martina on her way. How'd I do guys?" He asked Mirror man, Tumbler and Rachel, who had been watching from a reasonable distance in the SUV.  
  
"42 seconds." Tumbler replied "Sorry man."  
  
Memphis heard Sway laugh softly, triumphantly.  
  
"Don't get too cocky Wayland! There's still time!"  
  
"Yeah and good job there's lots of it the way you're going!" She remarked.  
  
"Oooh! You're gonna get it for that one girl!"  
  
"Now now children" Rachel cut in. "Calm down."  
  
Sway and Sphinx drove up to the Aston Martin and she hopped out of the Honda and crept over to the beautiful English rose before her. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she crouched down by the door and pulled tools from her jacket pocket. The gleaming silver car was possibly one of the sexiest things she had ever seen in her life, and now it was no longer about wanting to beat Memphis, it was about getting behind that wheel as soon as possible.  
  
"License to kill my dear." Muttered Sphinx under his breath.  
*** End Chapter 15 ***  
  
AUTHORS NOTE - Now here comes the fun part! I have always had a plan for this fiction, which would only work if it picked up interest and got some reviews. As a reward for reading chapter after chapter, I want your input for the next few. The next time you review, be sure include a car that you would like one of the crew to boost and your name to go with it (or your girlfriends if you're a guy!) and I will name the car after you and put her in the fiction! So come on then! Get thinking and a little piece of you will stay forever in the wonder that is Gone in 60 Seconds! (Oh and Amy, quick note - ballerina in Docs and leather pants. Guess who, lol) 


	17. Nice to meet you Mr Bond

Chapter 16.  
  
. 3.19pm .  
  
Memphis pulled up at the garage in the sleek Mercedes and hopped out to let the runner take her. He walked through the small wooden door and took his next boost sheet from Otto.  
  
"What'd you get man?" asked Mirror peering over his shoulder at the paper.  
  
Memphis grinned and fed it through the shredder. "Faith."  
  
"Aw Damn! That is so unfair! I was ten seconds behind you dude. You get a goddamn Lotus Elise and I get a." He paused whilst he looked down and surveyed his own sheet. "Isobel! Who the fuck is Isobel?"  
  
He looked up at the blackboard, searching for his lady.  
  
"Probably the friggin' booby prize knowing my luck." He muttered to himself.  
  
Memphis shook his head and turned to Otto,  
  
"How we doing?"  
  
"Pretty good, pretty good." His old friend replied, nodding his head.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. Everything's fine down at the warehouse, and so far we got," He glanced up at the board "The Diablo from Sway, Mazda MX5 from Sphinx, your Mercedes, and a Celica courtesy of our whining little smurf over here."  
  
"Hey! I aint no smurf! I just aint some big tall freak like all you guys! Its un-natural you know."  
  
Memphis raised his eyebrows. "Okay."  
  
"Are we gonna go this side of the century or not then Raines?" Mirror asked impatiently pulling a set of keys from the rack above the desk.  
  
"That's a change of heart. I thought you were moaning because you wanted the Lotus."  
  
"Dude, I started to like this Isobel chick." He walked through the doors of the garage with Memphis and unlocked their dumping car.  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"Since I found out her surname was TVR Tuscan!"  
  
***  
  
. 3.22pm .  
  
Sphinx pulled up in a dark filthy alley that ran behind a very successful chain-restaurant. Parked in a spot next to some over flowing trashcans, was a contrasting sparkling silver Lexus SC 430, Tara. She was a soft top with leather seats and all the mod cons, a beautifully crafted machine, which definitely didn't belong in this dingy alley.  
  
He looked around before he got out of the dumping car, checking to make sure his exit was clear. As he made his way over to the Lexus a scratching noise caught his attention and he flatted himself up against the wall, dissolving into the shadows. He waited silently, barely breathing, until the intruder, which happened to be a large gray rat, ambled in front of him and sat down, nibbling on a piece of stale food blissfully unaware that anyone was around. Inhumanly fast, Sphinx raised his foot, and in one swift, silent motion crushed the rat beneath it. Scavengers like that deserved to die in his opinion, and besides, it would make a nice treat for his cat friend. He bent down and scooped the dead rat up into his pocket without even so much as a flinch.  
  
"Now," he thought to himself, "Back to my lovely lady friend."  
  
***  
  
. 3.25pm.  
  
Sway drove calmly past a parked traffic cop and it dawned on her how out of place she must look in Melissa. Blonde dreadlocks and leather pants were hardly Aston normality. She sunk a little lower in her seat and picked up her receiver.  
  
"Hey Memphis. You there?"  
  
"Yeah babe. What's up?" He replied after a beat.  
  
"Who you got next?""  
  
"Faith."  
  
"Aw Dammit! I wanted her. Sexy lady!" She wiggled her eyebrows as she indicated and took a right turn.  
  
"That's what I said!" Chipped in Mirror "Damn lucky bastard. Anyway, you can't talk girl, you got all the major hotties so far! I'm gonna ring and reserve me a real goddess for my next one before you guys get 'em all!"  
  
"Mirror." Sway said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Shut up and get the hell off the line." She heard him mumbling to himself in the background through Memphis's receiver, but he didn't say anything else.  
  
"So then," said Memphis, a playful tone in his voice "How'd you do with Melissa?"  
  
"46 seconds."  
  
"Damn girl! She could grow a coat of rust in the time it took you!"  
  
"She's British." Sneered Sway "I go for the Italian girls. Besides, I don't see you beating my thirty."  
  
"I will, with Faith, trust me."  
  
"Would trust you as far as I could throw you Mr Raines!" She laughed. "See you later babe. Much later if the time you're taking is anything to go by!" And with that, she disconnected, giving no time for a come back from Memphis.  
  
***  
  
.3.26pm.  
  
Sphinx cruised along in the lap of luxury in his Lexus, much better than the pile of crap Honda he'd just been in. He'd played his favorite, trademark trick; leaving the dumping car in the spot where the boost had been. Sometimes he wished he could be there to see the owner's reaction at the transformation of their prize belonging.  
  
The whining of motorbikes filled his ears, and before he could react, he was surrounded by eight black Kawasaki's. One rider, fully clad in surprisingly Sway-esque black leathers signaled for him to stop, and he pulled the Lexus over at the side of the road. A red-hot rage started to boil up within him and he climbed out of the car forcefully, ready for a fight. That was until he noticed the eight guns, now pointed discreetly at him.  
  
"Shit." He thought.  
  
***  
  
.3.30pm.  
  
"Yo Otto!" Called Toby from the back of the garage, "You better come listen to this dude, I think we got some action."  
  
Otto ambled over to the young blonde and took the large black headphones he was offering him. Toby twiddled with some of the knobs on the makeshift circuit board that he had set up earlier, and Otto held one of the cans up to his ear.  
  
Static echoed through and then a very faint voice fizzled across,  
  
"Bravo-four-six this is Dispatch, we have just received a call from Traffic Delta-nine-nine of a sighting of the stolen automobile turning right at the corner of Whethers and Sixth. Are you in the vicinity?"  
  
"This is Bravo-four-six, we are approximately half a mile from the location. What are we looking for dispatch?"  
  
Otto glanced up at Toby, his eyes saying it all "Please don't be one of ours."  
  
"Owner describes a 2003, Aston Martin Vanquish, silver, license plate number zero-"  
  
Otto dropped the headphones; he didn't need to hear anymore.  
  
"Shit! That's Sway." He muttered as he picked up his receiver. "Sway? You there?"  
  
After a second of nothing her voice drifted through.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Get the hell out of that vanquish girl, you got a tail."  
  
"What! Fuck!" She banged her fists on the steering wheel "Where are they Otto?"  
  
"By now, probably turning right at the corner of Whethers and Sixth."  
  
"Oh shit!" Sway chuckled slightly, gearing up into sixth and squeezing the gas. "Keep me posted Otto."  
  
"Sway?" Memphis cut in from his Accord, "I heard that, I'm coming to pick you up. I'm about 2 minutes from Faith, give me thirty seconds to get her and then I'm about 2 miles from you."  
  
"Thirty seconds. That's a bit adventurous isn't it?"  
  
He ignored her banter and grabbed his tools from the backseat of the Honda. "Give them the run around for five minutes or so, give me chance to get to you. Keep me in on your position." And with that he disconnected.  
  
Otto listened to the deadening silence now on the line and drew a deep breath as the burning sensation returned to his chest.  
  
"Hey man you ok?" Asked Toby eyebrows raised.  
  
"I'm fine." He snapped, "Keep checking the police line."  
  
Toby nodded and quickly returned his attention to the dizzying array of buttons and wires laid out before of him.  
  
They didn't need this right now thought Otto thought as he ran his hand over his face, and picked up his receiver, again.  
  
"Rachel, please tell me that you guys have some good news for me."  
  
Rachel and Tumbler were the only two remaining in their van and once they had picked up the next car, they would drive the van back too, and go off as a pair in another accord.  
  
"Yep, we're just pulling up to Samantha now. And, damn! Is she fine?" She tilted her head and blew out a little breath of appreciation for the dark green sleek Jaguar XJ220 before her.  
  
"Looking forward to this one." Tumbler grinned as he pulled the van to a stop and reached down between his feet for his kit.  
  
"Yeah!" Laughed Rachel, "Sit your skinny ass down sweet pea, you aint going nowhere. This one's mine."  
  
"What! Dream on, I drove all the way over here, therefore I get the girl!" Tumbler exclaimed gesturing at the Jag.  
  
Rachel sat and turned her head very slowly to look at him, sending him a level "yeah, right!" stare.  
  
"See you later boy scout." She finally said sliding out of the SUV and sauntering across the road to the Jag.  
  
"Er, Otto." Tumbler said warily into his receiver. "Does this girl actually know what she's doing? She's not being very discreet, you know what I'm saying?"  
  
"Just watch her." Sway cut in.  
  
Tumbler sat and narrowed his eyes as Rachel reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She flipped it open and began talking rapidly, whilst standing in plain view in front of the drivers side door.  
  
"What the fuck is she doing." Muttered Tumbler to himself. He didn't even notice at first that Rachel had even got the door open, and then she slid inside still talking on the phone, loudly, his jaw dropped open  
  
"How the hell did she do that!?" He exclaimed into his receiver.  
  
"She's an good actress." Replied Sway "She makes you believe that the lady belongs to her and you don't even notice that the key she is fumbling with in the lock is actually a six inch steel wire down the door panel. No body notices because she looks like she belongs there."  
  
"Holy shit!" Laughed Tumbler "That is a damn good trick."  
  
"Watch her reach down now and root in her 'handbag'." Sway said disconnecting, back to her own business.  
  
Rachel reached down with one hand, keeping her head in plain sight and chattering loudly to the talking clock on her cell. To the general public she looked like she was rummaging around in her handbag for her compact, when in fact, she had a knife in the ignition and screwdriver in the steering column.  
  
The car roared to life and smiled, closing her eyes for a second, savoring the power and style of the beautiful car.  
  
"Ciao." She said to the clock as she snapped the cell phone shut and slinked the car out of the parking spot.  
  
Tumblers voice came through on the receiver in her pocket "Damn girl! You just stole a car from outside a shopping complex and no-one even noticed!"  
  
"What was my time?" Rachel said, smiling to herself.  
  
"32."  
  
"Oooooh! So close, so close."  
  
***  
  
.3.32pm.  
  
Memphis climbed out of the accord and moved over to the Beautiful Yellow Lotus. In his opinion, the only car manufacturer who could get away with yellow cars.  
  
If his mind hadn't been on other things, he probably would have been enjoying this intently. He didn't even notice that he was inside the car in 28 seconds flat.  
  
"Memphis, where the hell are you, I can't stay close to you and keep these guys off my back for much longer." Said Sway rapidly into her receiver as she viciously swung the Aston around a sharp bend.  
  
"I'm coming, where are you?" He replied as he waved goodbye to mirror and pulled the Lotus away.  
  
"About a mile from the Stockholm garages. Heading North."  
  
"Ok, keep going on that course. I'll probably meet you just before you hit them coming South."  
***  
  
Otto listened from back at the garage as they both disconnected.  
  
What were they thinking boosting in broad daylight? He couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to all end badly.  
*** End chapter 16*** 


	18. Catch me if you can

Chapter 17.  
  
.3.33pm.  
  
Sphinx fought the hazy fog that enveloped his mind and with all the strength he could muster opened his unnaturally heavy eyelids. He was disorientated and uncomfortable and on top of that felt strangely motion sick.  
  
He tried to roll over but could move. He was trapped, boxed in somewhere but couldn't remember where. Then as he struggled to free his mind, it all came flooding back. The bikers, the big, heavy pipe. He tried to reach up to touch the spot on his head that he knew would now be caked in blood, but couldn't move his arms. They seemed to be pinned down to his sides somehow.  
  
He was in a very strange and uncomfortable position, with his back at an unnatural angle, as his eyes swam into focus, he realized it was dark.  
  
"Where the fuck am I?" He thought his defensive anger jumping up to cover the fear in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath to calm himself, that's when it hit him. He knew that smell anywhere. Oil, leather and fine Japanese craftsmanship.  
  
He was in the trunk of the Lexus.  
  
***  
  
.3.35pm.  
  
Sway glanced up in her mirror hoping again that she'd lost them on that last corner. Her stomach sank as she saw the blue and white now joined by another, swing into view.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
She exclaimed, banging her fists on the steering wheel again and flooring the Vanquish. They were a good 400 yards behind her. If she jumped out now, she'd get away, but then she was caught.  
  
"Where are you Memphis?" she thought. "Come pick me up."  
  
She was nearing the south end of the garage complex and if he didn't arrive soon, she was out of obstacles, and it was all open road from there on. No escape. The garages were a huge set of about 30 that ran down the left hand side of the road. Each one had two sets of doors so you could drive into one from the road, like a normal house garage, and straight through out the other side, onto another road which the owners used as an off road. They would pull their lorries in at night through the doors facing the road and then pull out the next day without having to turn around. Straight into the off road and away.  
  
As she got closer and closer, and started to panic, she noticed something sleek and yellow heading for her in the opposite direction. She slowed a little to allow Memphis to catch up to her before she reached the garages, and smiled slightly to herself. He never let her down.  
  
As he got closer, his face came into focus. He signaled to her that he was turning off right down the back of the garages onto the off road. She nodded and he winked at her and made the sharp right at what must have been more than 90mph. Sway quickly pulled over onto the left side of the road, so that she was driving right next to the garage doors.  
  
She looked ahead for an empty bunch; she needed about 3 to be on the safe side. She saw then and dropped her speed a fraction.  
  
Her adrenalin kicked in as she reached her open set and her heart raced. She loved this shit! About 4 meters from the fist door of her set she took a deep breath and swung a very sharp left through the open door and quickly righted her self to head out the other end. She listened to one blue and white misjudge and smash into the wall, before she prepared herself and swung a hard right out of the other door and onto the off road.  
  
Memphis was about 3 meters away from the open door and closed his eyes briefly as Sway swung out in front of him. Close. He slowed purposely blocking the door she had just flown through and the remaining blue and white screeched to a halt. He held up his hands and reversed slowly, full of over-the-top apologies and fake shock.  
  
Sway hadn't had chance to hit the second door in her row, good job she'd picked a bunch off three, she thought as she pulled another right into the third garage and headed back out of the other side onto the road. She knew that Memphis will have slowed them down and she had a good thirty seconds to haul ass and get out of the car.  
  
Sway floored the Vanquish and headed up to the end of the garages at nearing 140mph. Her heart raced, and she got that feeling she only ever got when doing this. Boosting was in her blood. She pulled up at the last garage and jumped out of the car before it had fully stopped. She glanced quickly over her shoulder and then scrambled over the wall that jutted out from the side of the last garage. Swinging her legs over she jumped down straight into the path of an oncoming car. Slamming her hands down on the bonnet, she jumped back a couple of feet and the car screeched to a halt.  
  
She grinned at Memphis through the windscreen as he sat ashen faced, his eyes wide, gripping the steering wheel tightly. She ran around and hopped into the passenger seat. Memphis pulled away quickly and Sway looked over at him, out of breath, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lip.  
  
"Fancy seeing you here." She remarked.  
  
That made him laugh, and as they drove away, leaving the police to wonder where the hell the joy rider went, he drew a deep breath and shook his head.  
  
"Jesus Sway. Nearly got you twice babe."  
  
She settled down in her seat and closed her eyes, tired from her adrenaline rush.  
  
"You were nowhere near. Babe."  
  
***  
  
.3.36pm.  
  
Finally, Sphinx felt the Lexus slow and the engine was turned off. He waited and listened until he heard someone move around to the trunk and unlock it. The light was blinding in contrast to the dark he had just been submerged in and he screwed his eyes up as he was hoisted out of the car and placed on his feet.  
  
He knew his legs weren't going to hold him, and there was nothing that he could do to help himself as an insane dizziness spun the world around. He dropped heavily to his knees and threw up.  
  
Someone laughed from above him, but the voice sounded hollow and distant in his head. The whole world was spinning and echoing as he got dragged back to his feet and pulled towards a large breezeblock building.  
  
And to top it all off, he had absolutely no clue where he was.  
  
***  
  
.3.37pm.  
  
Memphis picked up his receiver and clicked the talk button.  
  
"Otto."  
  
After a second he answered "You get her?"  
  
"Yeah she's here. We lost Melissa though."  
  
"Never mind, we have one more we can try later. You both ok?" Otto asked concerned.  
  
Memphis looked over at Sway and she raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Yes." He replied after a beat "We're fine. We'll be in in about 8 minutes. And listen up guys," He addressed everyone through his receiver "I want everyone back at the garage as soon as they can."  
  
"I got Rachel, Mirror and Kip here already," Otto said "And tumbler should be on his way in."  
  
"2 minutes." Tumbler cut in.  
  
"Donny, Freb. What about you guys?" Asked Memphis.  
  
"I just dropped Donny off at Sarah," Answered Freb "I'm driving the van back now, we'll both be there before you guys"  
  
"Anyone heard from Sphinx?" Asked Kip.  
  
"No." replied Memphis "Otto?"  
  
"No, but you know what he's like Memphis. He's said more today than he has in the whole of last month put together. He'll be here."  
  
"Ok." Memphis nodded "See you soon guys."  
  
"Bye." Answered Otto and they all disconnected.  
  
Memphis set his receiver down on the dash and stole a quick glance at Sway. She was running her eyes along the dash. A deep look, mentally undressing it to get at what was underneath.  
  
Then she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  
  
"Seriously," she said more to herself that to Memphis. "Running and leather pants aint a great combination in weather like this."  
  
He chuckled slightly and looked up at the hot sun.  
  
Sway suddenly reached and pulled her credit card out of her back pocket.  
  
"Pull over." She mumbled to Memphis, her card between her teeth as she put her hand on the door handle.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
Memphis pulled over obligingly and she hoped out of the car and took the card from her mouth.  
  
"Back in a second." She said shutting the door and walking towards a store.  
  
Memphis sat, eyebrows raised, waiting for her. She never ceased to amaze him.  
  
Just as he stared to feel slightly too self conscious sat in a stolen car at the side of the road, she returned, shopping bag in hand, card back in her mouth as she opened the door to the car and got in.  
  
"I can't believe you just went shopping." Memphis laughed as he pulled out and drove away.  
  
She smiled and pulled a pair of khaki green utility pants out of the bag tossing it, now empty, onto the back seat. She sank down a bit in her seat and popped the top button on her leathers. Memphis gave her another quick sideways glance and smiled as she shrugged her eyebrows at him.  
  
She wriggled out of the leathers to reveal a pair of pink and black lace panties. Memphis did a double take and then looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Sway?"  
  
She grinned at him mischievously as she ripped the tag off the new pants and pulled them on.  
  
"I did promise you leather, high heels and pink underwear."  
  
He laughed loudly and shook his head.  
  
She grinned and fastened the tie at the top of the combats "I can't drive in heels though, so you'll have to wait 'till later."  
  
"I'll hold you to that."  
  
***End Chapter 17 ***  
  
Authors note - Get me eh! Two uploads in as many days! I know there wasn't any boosting in that one, and I'm sorry, but its coming so keep reading! Keep the cars coming in too, I've had loads so far and I'm really appreciative, and still looking for more! I also just want to take a sec to say thanks to everyone who keeps coming back and reading chapter after chapter. You're all ace guys and I love your reviews! Thanks, AN x 


	19. Quick authors note

Oh my god guys! 80 reviews!!!!! You are all so ace! Thank you for coming back time after time to read this. I really really appreciate it! Just to let you know, I have a big bunch of exams coming up, so may not update as often and I apologize in advance. Breaks from revision may churn out some bits of chapters, so in order to give you SOMETHING I will put up bits of chapter at a time rather than whole ones. That's the best I can do guys sorry!!! Again, I want to thank you all, especially Amy (A.K.A Ferrari girl! lol) for being permanently on MSN at my disposal! Ready for my ranting, drunken ramblings, accidental comments meant for my bloke when I'm juggling several people at once, fun friendship, never ending advice and a million other weird and wonderful conversations Lol. You rock babe! Seriously, all of you who have ever left a comment to say that your out there (and those of you who haven't but still read) you're a groovy bunch and I thank you all muchoss! (I just want to apologize to all the people who's hopes I just got up thinking this was a new chapter! Lol. I just realized. Sorry!) The ever grateful and experimental author Amber Nectar! x 


	20. Update

Update.  
  
Hey guys! The exams are over (thank god!) and I now hope to give you more frequent updates. I realize that its been a while since I last posted a chapter (sorry) and know how irritating it can be when you have to go back and re-read most of a story in order to remember what happened last. So, I decided that because you're all so great to me, I'd do you a favor and sum it all up here. Hope you enjoy the next chapter, and here's where we left off in 17,  
  
Memphis is in Faith, a yellow Lotus Elise, accompanied by Sway, whom he had to rescue from Melissa, the ever sexy Aston Vanquish, as she was being tailed by police.  
  
Sphinx picked up the stylish Lexus SC 430, Tara, (along with a nice juicy rat for his cat friend!) only to be hijacked and taken off to an unknown location in its trunk.  
  
Its just gone 3.37pm and the whole crew is now going to reassemble at the garage for a pep talk from Memphis after Sways near miss. It's just a shame that none of the others realize that Sphinx won't be joining them. 


	21. Clever lady

Chapter 18.  
  
.3.48pm.  
  
Ten minutes later Otto's eyes brightened as he heard the roar of an engine that could only belong to a Lotus. A couple of the crew ran out to the drive to get a closer look at the sexy lady as Memphis and Sway walked through the garage door, Memphis scanning the room quickly, a mental register running through his mind. Sway dumped a shopping bag on the floor and Rachel raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Did you change!?" She chuckled.  
  
Sway simply flashed a small grin and sat down next to her as the others returned to their seats muttering words of appreciation and awe for the beautifully crafted Faith.  
  
Memphis looked over at Otto. "Still no Sphinx?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"Shit." Cursed Memphis "He should be back by now."  
  
***  
  
.3.50pm.  
  
Sphinx had blacked out again and awoke to find himself tied to a chair, obviously inside the ominous looking breezeblock building. He kept his eyes shut, wanting more time to figure out what he was up against and what the hell he was going to do about it. He identified five separate voices, one of these, belonging to Johnny B.  
  
"What are you brain-dead asshole!" He shouted at one of the other men. "Of the ten people in that crew that you could have gotten me, you went and brought me the one who can't fuckin' speak!"  
  
"We-" One of the others tried to defend their actions.  
  
"Shut the hell up Smithy I couldn't give a damn! Jesus! Fuckin' brain-dead the lot of you!"  
  
"We can still use him Johnny B." Someone else piped up. "For barterin' and shit."  
  
"We can still use him." Mimicked Johnny in a whiney voice "Yes, asshole, but we could have used one of the ones THAT COULD FUCKIN' SPEAK to get some info out of them as well! Shit! Why didn't you get his girl? I asked you to get her!"  
  
"There's two girls boss." Muttered Smithy "We didn't know which one she was."  
  
"Does it fucking matter! At least they can speak! Jesus. Assholes! She the only one with fucking blonde dreds."  
  
"Sorry Jonny." They all muttered in unison.  
  
"Oh shut the hell up and just search him aiight." Snapped Johnny with an exasperated sigh, and Sphinx heard what sounded like him sinking down into a chair.  
  
Footsteps came towards him and someone slapped him sharply around the face.  
  
"Oi! Big man. Wake up asshole."  
  
Sphinx shook his head to clear the stars now dancing behind his eyelids and slowly raised his gaze to stare menacingly into the face of a short, stocky man who couldn't have been older than twenty.  
  
"Ah so you's awake sleeping beauty!" He said brightly. Some of the others chuckled and the short man, who by the sound of his voice was Smithy, stepped back.  
  
"I's goin' to search you now dude, but don't go getting' any funny ideas coz I don't swing that way OK." The crew laughed again, moronically, and Johnny's voice echoed from across the room, where Sphinx noticed he was, as he had suspected, sat in a battered old armchair.  
  
"Just fucking do it will you Smithy!"  
  
"Aiight aiight! Chill dude." Smithy muttered and he reached forwards to put his hand in Sphinx's left pocket. He rummaged around for a moment and then retracted sharply with a yelp, stumbling backwards into one of his crew.  
  
"Holy Shit!" He shouted as he flung something across the room. "What the fucks wrong with you!" He yelled at Sphinx as Johnny B leapt from his chair and came running over to see what the commotion was about.  
  
"What?" He barked at Smithy.  
  
"Damn sick bastard's got dead fuckin' rats in his pockets man!" Smithy answered shaking his hand violently "Damn teeth got in my hand. What if I've got rabies or sumthin'!?" He pointed over at the large gray rat that now rested on the floor by the door, and they all took cautious a step back from Sphinx who was starting at them, deadpan.  
  
"Eeew! You're sick dude." Someone retorted.  
  
"Rabies wont make no difference to you anyhow." Snapped Johnny. "Polis, get rid of that will you." He barked at one of the larger men, "And you three get your asses over here, we need to decide what we're gonna do with him. He might not be able to talk, but he sure as hell aint got no problem hearin'. Aint that right freak?" He addressed Sphinx before he turned away followed to the back of the room by his cronies. Sphinx simply blinked at him, as realization flooded over him.  
  
In their haste to get rid of the rat, they hadn't checked Sphinx;'s right pocket, in which sat his receiver, set on mute, so they would never know it was there. He began to pull at the ropes binding his hands behind the chair. All he needed to do was create enough give to get his hand to his pocket and he could set his plan into action.  
  
***  
  
.3.55pm.  
  
Sway sat ridged next to Rachel, her jaw set as she watched Memphis pacing around the room, and listened to the others as they loudly discussed ways of finding their missing crew member.  
  
Memphis caught her eye and paused for a second to look at her, guilt predominant on his features. The muscles in his jaw twitched and he turned away to continue his pacing. Sway let out a shaky breath and looked down at the floor, her hands hanging limply off her knees. This was exactly what they didn't want to happen, what they didn't need. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of relief, when she felt a hand lightly resting on top of her own. She looked sideways at Rachel who sat gazing intently at the cigarette in her other hand, before raising it to her lips and giving Sway a fleeting glance of reassurance.  
  
***  
  
.3.59pm.  
  
Sphinx bent his arm around a fraction of an inch further so that he could reach into his pocket. He groped around for a second, and just when he thought his arm was going to break from being forced into this unnatural angle, his fingers closed around the cold solid lump of his receiver. Beads of sweat appeared at his temples as he fumbled with it and eventually managed to push down the talk button and flick on the hold switch.  
  
Gently he eased his hand out of his pocket and back behind his back where he flexed and relaxed it repeatedly trying to get the circulation re- pumping. Johnny's crew huddled around him in the far corner of the room, there backs to him, totally oblivious to the fact that Sphinx's own crew could now hear every whisper as well as he could.  
  
***  
  
.4.02pm.  
  
Sway still sat in the same place watching Memphis. The talking around her had become louder in desperation and they were starting to bicker.  
  
"Its Johnny B man, I'm telling you." Said Freb shaking his head.  
  
"Yeah!" Snapped Kip "I think we'd gathered that boy genius!"  
  
"I was only trying to help!" He retaliated and Tumbler cut in to continue the argument.  
  
Sway tipped her head back again, exasperated.  
  
That's when she heard it.  
  
A small noise from somewhere next to her. She snapped her head up and looked down. There was noting there. She listened a little harder, and heard it again, this time sure it was not a figment of her imagination. It sounded like someone clearing their throat and she realized that it was coming from her pocket.  
  
She quickly whipped out her receiver and held it to her ear, unable to hear properly for the noise that was going on around her.  
  
"Hey guys." She said her voice raised "Hey! Hey, SHUT HE HELL UP!" She shouted and everyone turned to look at her.  
  
"Get out your receivers and turn up the volume." She ordered, and they all did.  
  
"Holy shit!" Exclaimed Mirror after a second "That sounds like Johnny B!"  
  
Everyone started to talk again, loudly, and Memphis tossed his receiver to Toby.  
  
"Hook this up to your circuit, I want to hear every word they are saying loud and clear, and I want you to monitor it until we find out where they are."  
  
"Yessir!" Toby threw him a quick salute and hurried off, followed by most of the younger crewmembers.  
  
Memphis walked through the commotion over to where Sway sat., a small grin playing across his features. Without breaking his stride he grabbed her face in his hands, and pulled her lips up to his, enveloping her in a brief, strong kiss.  
  
"Clever lady." He mumbled against her lips before turning and walking back towards Toby.  
  
*** End Chapter 18 *** 


	22. Big dude, Kinda ugly

Chapter 19.  
  
.4.08pm.  
  
Less than five minutes later, Toby had a connection to the receiver hooked up, and the whole room could clearly hear the mumbles and snippets of conversation that it picked up.  
  
Memphis wandered over to join with Sway on the same desk she had been sat on for the past 20 minutes. Rachel, none to subtly, got up to allow them some alone time.  
  
"You okay?" Sway asked as Memphis sank down next to her his eyes closed.  
  
"Mmm. Just tired."  
  
"We didn't need this did we?" Sway grinned, placing a hand gently on his knee.  
  
"Er, in a word - no! Not really." He laughed slightly and opened his eyes so he could look at her. "You're so calm. How do you always do that!?"  
  
"Calm! Memphis are you forgetting my little outburst? Waterworks and everything!"  
  
He laughed louder and bent in to kiss her briefly. She always managed to make him smile.  
  
"Seriously?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I have someone here who just put it all in perspective for me. And I guess, I don't know, they just keep me calm. As long as they are, I am."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at this, and followed her gaze over to where Rachel stood, casually leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand, retreating deep behind her dark eyes. She flicked the ash from her Kool and laughed as Tumbler dropped a screwdriver in an attempt to impress her by spinning it in his hand. He fumbled on the floor to pick it up and she laughed again, taking a long drag on her cigarette and shaking her head.  
  
Sways voice broke into Memphis's thoughts "I used to be like that."  
  
He turned to look at her "You still are."  
  
***  
  
.4.10pm.  
  
Sphinx sat in the same chair, still tied down and strained to listen to what Johnny and his gang were whispering about. If he couldn't hear them, there was no way Memphis would be able to. He needed to draw them away from their corner and get them sneaking loud and clear. He suddenly had an idea, they were all pretty damn dim as far as he could tell and knew it wouldn't take much for them to fall into his trap.  
  
He slumped sideways in his chair, forcing all his weight to one side causing it to tip over and send him crashing to the floor. He kept his eyes closed.  
  
"Shit!" Shouted Smithy as he jumped at the noise.  
  
They all rushed forwards to Sphinx.  
  
"Aw shit he passed out again. Fuck Smithy how hard did you hit the bastard with that pipe?" Said Johnny as he helped one of the larger guys right Sphinx, chair and all.  
  
"I don' no dog. Pretty hard I guess. He a big dude aint it."  
  
"Yeah well, I didn't want you to kill him did I! What the fuck use is a dead guy to us huh? Idiot!" Sphinx heard the unmistakable sound of a hand slapping around the side of a head.  
  
"Sorry." Mumbled Smithy.  
  
"Big Mike. Give me your phone." Barked Johnny "We need to call Eddie, update him."  
  
Sphinx had to fight his hardest to suppress a grin. This could be just what he needed.  
  
***  
  
.4.15pm.  
  
Toby batted Kip's hand away furiously as it reached in to press a button on his control board.  
  
"What did I tell you man? Don't touch!"  
  
Kip grumbled and sat down on a swivel chair, swinging himself back and forth vigorously, desperate for something to amuse himself with. He settled on watching Tumbler futilely trying to chat up Rachel who was having none of it.  
  
"So, like er, where you from?" He asked awkwardly, fidgeting as he stood ridged next to her relaxed form.  
  
She slowly raised her eyes and stared at him for a beat before replying.  
  
"Long Island."  
  
"No shit." He nodded moronically and then quickly changed tack "So er, like, er, what do you do? You know, as a job?"  
  
The same long pause and level stare followed before she answered.  
  
"I'm a beautician."  
  
"Really?" He asked, unable to hide the serious surprise in his eyes.  
  
She looked at him, her expression totally deadpan, before answering him and then drawing her smoke up to her lips.  
  
"No."  
  
He looked at her, embarrassed, obviously unsure what to do with himself, but knowing the conversation was over. She was back in Rachel land now, barely even breathing, just standing slumped against the wall, hidden behind her eyes, surveying the room silently.  
  
Sway chuckled and nudged Memphis.  
  
"She's such a bitch. Look at him! Poor kid."  
  
Memphis looked over at the bewildered looking Tumbler as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  
  
"I think he can handle himself okay."  
  
They watched as he started to ramble to Rachel again, who looked as if she hadn't even noticed he'd started talking.  
  
"No, no, no." Muttered Sway to herself "Stop talking. Please stop talking."  
  
Memphis laughed quietly under his breath.  
  
Sway stood up "I can't watch this." She said as she picked up Rachel's cigarettes from table. "Hey Rach!" She called.  
  
Rachel looked over at her as Sway held up the packet.  
  
"Can I bum one?"  
  
"Sure." Rachel answered as Tumbler slinked away quickly, glad of the diversion.  
  
"Spoil sport." Whispered Memphis into Sways ear as she drew a smoke from the packet with her teeth.  
  
She lit it and the turned to look at him slowly.  
  
"That's very mean Memphis Raines."  
  
"I'm a very mean guy." He said in a low voice as he leaned in and kissed her passionately.  
  
"Do you two mind!? Ugh." Retorted Freb as he wandered past.  
  
Neither of them answered and without breaking from the kiss Sway flicked him a stiff middle finger.  
  
Memphis heard Donny chuckle. "They'll come up for air eventually." He said as he turned his back on the couple and grinned at a smiling Rachel.  
  
"Hey guys!" Toby suddenly yelled. "I. I think. Yep, we got something here! Memphis."  
  
Memphis and Sway pulled apart quickly and ran over.  
  
Rachel whooped and gave Toby a little wink before moving over to stand behind him, her arms draped around his neck, Tumbler looked on enviously. The others came to bunch around Toby as he shushed them all, pride coming off him in waves as he finally became the center of attention, this time for the right reasons.  
  
He pulled his cans down from his ears and flicked a few switches on his board.  
  
First all they got was a faint crackling, then as he turned the volume up, and the background fader down, they could clearly hear Johnny B's voice.  
  
"There's a lot of interference," Toby said as he hit a record button and leant back in his chair, Rachel still leaning on him "So I'd guess he's on a cell phone."  
  
"Good. Nice work Toby." Nodded Memphis as they all stood desperately still, worried that the slightest movement would have an effect on the signal.  
  
"Yo!" Said the crackly but, unmistakable voice of Johnny B "Eddie it Johnny B dude." He paused, obviously listening to the person on the other end of the phone talking. Memphis felt Sway stiffen at his side at the sound of the voice, her fury still raw.  
  
"Yeah dude yeah. Safe. Mmhmm. Yep. Yep. No. We got one of them right here. No, its not the blonde one, this dumbass crew you sent me couldn't even pick off one little woman!"  
  
Memphis cleared his throat loudly, his hate for this man building with every word he muttered.  
  
"No. They only went an got the only one that can't fucking speak. Yeah, that's him, big dude, kinda ugly. Yeah. I know dude tell me bout it! Fucking assholes. I know. Yeah. Well he can't tell you nothin'. Yeah that what I said. Blackmail dude, I like it!" He laughed and paused a little while longer "Nope. No. Sure dog. You come down here and we'll get ringin' our little friend! Yeah I got his number. Yeah. Yeah. Pier 14, one of the outbuildings on the south side. Yeah. Easy to find-"  
  
"That's it!" Memphis jumped into action. "Right Toby, you keep an ear to what he says and keep us posted via Donny's cell. We need to keep mine free and these are no use right now." He pointed to his receiver. "Er, okay, Donny, Tumbler, Kip, Rachel you come with me, the rest of you stay here. Keep us posted." He said again to Toby.  
  
"Er, excuse me." Sway turned to look at Memphis her eyes wide.  
  
"He already has you targeted Sway." He explained, "I don't want you to come."  
  
She raised her eyebrows and Rachel tossed her her jacket "Tough shit." She said as she strolled out of the door leading the others.  
  
Memphis threw up his hands and gave Otto an exasperated eye roll.  
  
Mirror man laughed "You totally under the thumb aint you?"  
  
Memphis shook his head "You just don't argue with Sway." He replied as he backed out of the garage, following the others, to the recently re-parked and re-plated SUV's.  
  
***  
  
.4.31pm.  
  
Less than 10 minutes later, the six cruised along the south side of Pier number 14 in the large black van, with Sway behind the wheel.  
  
"Hey." Rachel pointed over Memphis's shoulder from the back seat "Aint that Tara over there."  
  
He followed her finger and sure enough, parked amongst a set of black bikes, and vans similar to their own, was a gleaming silver Lexus. The vehicles were parked on a square of tarmac that posed as a driveway for the small, windowless breezeblock outbuilding. There was no visible entrance so Memphis guessed that they were now around the back, and that the door was on the opposite side, facing out onto the water.  
  
He turned in his seat to address the four sitting in the back of the SUV.  
  
"You stay here. I'm gonna go check it all out. Give me two minutes then follow me okay?" They all nodded and Rachel lit up yet another cigarette, leaning back in her seat, eyebrows raised.  
  
Memphis turned to Sway "You coming?" He asked, but she already had one hand on the door handle. Question answered.  
  
They climbed quietly from the van and crept up the makeshift driveway to stop against the back wall of the building.  
  
Memphis lowered his voice to a whisper. "You go around that way," He indicated right "I'll meet you around the other side."  
  
She nodded and slunk away, giving Memphis one last fleeting glance over her shoulder before turning the corner.  
  
Memphis followed suit in the other direction, moving silently along, barely breathing. Creeping around was second nature to him from his boosting days. The sound of a door slamming shut and a brief scuffling noise caught his attention and he flattened himself up against the cool bricks. He stood still for a few seconds and the proceeded along the wall, all the while listening out for further signs of activity. He stopped at the end, his back against the breezeblocks, ready to peer around the corner to check out the front side of the building. Then he froze and swore under his breath as he heard a voice drifted around from where he wanted to go.  
  
"Raaaaaines!" Johnny B sang, "I know you're out there boy! Come on out and say hi, we got a right lil' party going on here!"  
  
Memphis held his breath and his position, not wanting to do anything premature.  
  
"Say something." Said Johnny gruffly, this time not talking to Memphis.  
  
The next thing he heard made his breath catch in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was the shrill desperation or the wavering tone that hit him most when Sways voice answered Johnny's command.  
  
"Memphis."  
  
"Memphis." Mimicked Johnny laughing "Come on, come out and say hi to your woman! Don't be rude."  
  
Memphis slowly moved out from the side of the building to stand facing Johnny. The sight before him made him feel physically sick as he took it all in. Johnny B stood, flanked by five or six other large men, with his arm wrapped around Sway's neck and a gun pointed steadily at her temple. Beads of sweat were appearing on her pasty skin and her eyes had faded dramatically from their usual brilliant blue to a steely gray.  
  
"Aw here he is! Look boys its Raines, come to say hello!" They all guffawed moronically as Sway closed her eyes and swallowed thickly. "Now then Raines," Johnny's tone of voice dropped to a less playful tone "What the fuck do you think you're doing sneaking around here?"  
  
Before Memphis could answer, he heard a noise from behind him and saw Johnny's face contort with anger.  
  
"What the fuck!" He shouted.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing." Came Rachel's voice from somewhere over Memphis's shoulder, his two minutes were up and the cavalry had arrived.  
  
Memphis held up a hand to quieten her.  
  
"RAINES!!!" Johnny shouted again. "Where the fuck did this lot come from?!"  
  
"They wont do anything-"  
  
"They better fucking not!" He seethed "I want them moved back."  
  
They didn't move, simply stood still staring at him levelly, Memphis's army.  
  
"NOW!" Johnny shouted and he clicked the hammer back on the gun.  
  
Sway let out a small gasp and closed her eyes, breathing deeper and more erratically.  
  
Memphis's knees started to feel weak and he threw his hands into the air quickly "Okay, okay." He said in a tone much calmer than he thought he could manage, "Take a couple of steps back guys."  
  
He heard a shuffling from behind him and knew that they had done as he asked.  
  
"That's better." Johnny snapped, his anger subsiding slightly. "Now answer my question. What are you doin' here?"  
  
"We came to pick up a member of our crew." Said Tumbler gruffly.  
  
"Oh yeah? And who's that then?" Johnny raised his eyebrows, a worse actor than he was a ringleader.  
  
" 'Big dude, kinda ugly' " Memphis mirrored Johnny's past comment as Donny pulled a receiver out of his pocket and waved it in the air.  
  
Johnny looked shocked for a second and then his face contorted in rage again and he shouted over him shoulder "YOU FUCKIN' IDIOTS! YOU DIDN'T SEARCH HIM?"  
  
"Yeah dog," Smithy replied "He had rats in his pocket din' 'e!"  
  
"Did you search BOTH pockets!?" He yelled.  
  
"Oh. Er, I'm, erm. I'm not sure." Smithy muttered in a small voice.  
  
"Fuckin' idiots! I'm working with a bunch of fuckin' idiots!"  
  
Rachel chuckled and reached into the pocket of her jacket.  
  
"Hey!" Johnny shouted whipping around to look at her "What are you doin'?"  
  
"I'm havin'," She said slowly as if talking to a small child, "a smoke." She pulled out the packet and wiggled it at him. "Want one?"  
  
He growled at her and pushed the gun tighter against Sway's head making her gasp again.  
  
"Rachel." Memphis warned.  
  
There was a crash and a yell from inside the building. Everyone turned and watched as a short stocky man emerged from the entrance behind Johnny, dragging a smug looking Sphinx with him.  
  
"Damn Johnny." He said as he shoved Sphinx, who's hands were still tied behind his back out of the door before him "He wasn't fuckin' unconscious!" He rubbed his nose and glared at Sphinx "He just fuckin' head butted me!"  
  
"Damn it! Shut up!" Shouted Johnny, he was starting to loose control and it showed in his face. Memphis became wary and he looked briefly at Sway whose gray eyes turned to him slowly and lingered.  
  
"Hey dude!" Said Smithy excitedly, realization flooding over his face "He never was unconscious, bet he just did that to get us to talk louder!"  
  
"Yeah Smithy!" Johnny spat "I think we'd figured that out you dumb fuck!"  
  
Smithy's smile faded and he shrank back, looking disheartened.  
  
"What are we going to do about this little situation we have here then?" Memphis asked, his tone still surprisingly calm.  
  
"Well, the way I see it Raines we are calling the shots here as we have two of your crew!" He grinned a malicious little grin.  
  
"Yeah." Kip said "But the way we see it, Sphinx's feet aint tied are they, and he doesn't need his hands to knock the shit out of you morons!"  
  
"Kip, shut up!" Warned Memphis.  
  
"Yeah listen to big bro boy scout. Coz u see, problem is, if *he* tries anything," He jerked his shoulder in Sphinx's direction "I'll blow *her* head off."  
  
Memphis had to fight to keep his knees from buckling.  
  
"Ok, I may have deal for you then." He said as an idea popped into his head.  
  
"I'm listenin'." Johnny turned his attention from Kip and the creepy, smug smile returned to his face.  
  
"Well, the way I see it, you don't want many people to know about this right. Because that would be cheating. And I know that most of the big players are in the know about our little bet."  
  
Johnny narrowed his eyes but didn't answer.  
  
"Would make you look very untrustworthy." Memphis paused "So if you hand them over now, it wont be mentioned."  
  
"Is that it?! I should pull this trigger right now for making me listen to that shit!"  
  
"I'm not done." Memphis said quickly "I have another proposition for you. Now I know that for you, one of the added bonuses to this, is that you're gonna make some money off the sales of the boosted cars."  
  
"Mmm," Johnny said "So what?"  
  
"Well, I'll make a trade. Sphinx and Sway for all our cars at the end. Win or lose."  
  
Johnny got a gleam in his eyes as he considered this greedily.  
  
"Well Raines. Seems you've come up to scratch there." He signaled at his men and they shoved Sphinx forwards towards Memphis and the others.  
  
They stood and waited for him to release Sway.  
  
"But how," Johnny looked at Memphis his eyes steely "do I know that you wont go back on your word."  
  
"I wont." Said Memphis beginning to panic, but not showing it.  
  
"Hmm, maybe I should keep this one just to be sure." He bent his head and kissed Sway on the cheek.  
  
Fury covered Memphis's fear and he had to do everything he could to stop himself from charging forwards and pouncing on Johnny.  
  
"Then again." Johnny smiled sickeningly "I could just shoot her."  
  
Sways eyes flew wide and Memphis nearly fell to the floor. The world began to turn in slow motion as he watched in horror as Johnny's finger squeezed the trigger of the gun.  
  
Sway stood and waited for the flashing pain, waited for it all to go black, she shut her eyes tight and waited for death. There was a click and then she heard a loud shrill laugh from behind her and was amazed to realize that she could open her eyes.  
  
"Three of the six chambers in this gun are empty," Johnny grinned at Memphis who had turned an even paler shade than Sway. "This girl's one lucky bitch." He laughed again and shoved her forwards. Him and his crew turned chuckling and walked back inside the building.  
  
Sway stared at Memphis for a beat and then crumpled to the floor. He rushed forwards and dropped to his knees in front of her. A noise from behind him told him that the others were leaving, allowing them some privacy.  
  
Sway stayed still for at least five minutes, her head facedown on Memphis's knees whilst she concentrated hard on her breathing and he crouched over her body. When she finally sat up again Memphis was relived to see that some on the color had returned to her cheeks and eyes.  
  
"You okay?" He asked quietly.  
  
She nodded "I think-"  
  
"What?" He mumbled kissing her cheek.  
  
"I think," she exhaled slowly "I need a cigarette."  
  
He laughed and sighed deeply as he pulled her to her feet. She smiled and he felt the weight in his stomach lift instantly.  
  
"Lets go." Memphis said, glaring over his shoulder at the door to the building, fury boiling inside him. He was going to make Johnny pay for this.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when Sway grabbed his face in her hands and pulled it down roughly to her own to kiss him hungrily.  
  
He pulled away, breathing heavily. "What was that for?"  
  
"Just checking I was really still alive." She grinned wickedly.  
  
He flung an arm around her shoulder and walked her back around the building.  
  
"Are you really going to give him all the cars?" Sway asked as they approached their SUV.  
  
"Yeah," He looked at her "Well we don't want 'em, and you never know, *someone* might even send an anonymous tip-off to the cops after we're done. You know, Johnny could get into some serious trouble with all those stolen ladies on his hands!"  
  
Sway laughed loudly and climbed into the passenger seat of the van.  
  
"What's so funny?" Rachel asked as Memphis started the engine.  
  
"Oh nothing." Sway looked over at him and grinned before turning in her seat to face her friend. "Now, gimme a damn cigarette."  
  
***End chapter 19*** 


	23. The 3rd Sin

A/N - Incase anyone is wondering, the third sin of the seven deadly is - WRATH.  
  
Chapter 20.  
  
.4.56pm.  
  
Otto heaved a huge sigh of relief as he watched the whole crew walk back through the garage doors a while later. Sphinx, he noticed, looked a little worse for wear but at least they were all here.  
  
"Oh thank god!" He stood to meet Memphis "It all go ok? Any problems?"  
  
Memphis glanced quickly across at Sway who shook her head slightly and gave him a resolute look.  
  
"No." He answered turning back to his old friend "No problems."  
  
Tumbler laughed as he pushed through them towards the back of the garage "Yeah, if you call being held up at gun point nothing!"  
  
Sway rolled her eyes, exasperated, and glared at Tumbler.  
  
"Nice one moron." Kip retorted slapping him up the side of the head.  
  
Otto stared at Memphis imploringly "Memphis." He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Ok so maybe there was a slight problem, but we sorted it."  
  
"How?" Otto demanded. He did not look happy.  
  
"I just told the stupid son-of-a-bitch that he could have all our boosts when this is over."  
  
The older man suddenly looked much calmer. "Oh good, that solves one problem later on I guess."  
  
Memphis nodded.  
  
"I can't believe that arrogant little asshole," Otto threw his hands into the air "First he kidnaps one of our crew and then holds him up for ransom a gun point! Unbelievable!"  
  
"Well actually," Memphis pushed his hands into his pockets and gave Sway another glance "It wasn't Sphinx."  
  
"What? Who was it then?" Otto looked around at them all puzzled.  
  
"You!?" He asked Memphis his eyes wide.  
  
"No." He looked over at Sway again, Otto following his gaze, and she raised an eyebrow and gave a feeble smile.  
  
Otto stared at her for a second and then sunk down onto a desk "Jesus Mary and Joseph! Sway!?"  
  
"Mmmm." She replied.  
  
Otto clutched at his chest again and drew deep, shaky breaths as he stared down at the floor.  
  
Memphis rushed forwards "Otto?" He asked urgently "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine I'm fine!" He waved him away and looked up at Sway again "Are *you* okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." She reassured him "No harm done."  
  
"Yeah just about!" Tumbler snorted "'Cept when he pulled the trigger on her!"  
  
"Tumbler!" Memphis glared.  
  
"What!?" Otto shouted.  
  
"Its okay, the gun was empty." Sway said hurriedly "He was bluffing."  
  
"No three of the chambers were empty not-"  
  
"Tumbler will you shut the hell up!" Rachel shouted over at him.  
  
"What?" He looked around bewildered "What? I'm just telling it like it is."  
  
Otto shook his head and was relived to see Sway chuckling under her breath.  
  
"This isn't funny Wayland." Otto scolded waggling a finger at her.  
  
She tried unsuccessfully to arrange her face in a serious expression and Otto grinned.  
  
"No it fuckin' wasn't," Memphis said "And I'm gonna get some revenge for this."  
  
"Memphis-" Otto started.  
  
"It's okay, I'm not planning anything stupid, im just waiting until he's got all those ladies on his turf then I might give our old friend Castleback a call."  
  
"Who?" Rachel asked.  
  
"A cop." Kip replied.  
  
"And speaking of law enforcement," Donny pointed up at the clock on the wall "I think we're gonna have a whole lot of cars reported stolen right about now. Don't you think we should take a break till the heat dies down?"  
  
"What are you crazy?" Said Mirror man, "the whole point of a bet is to *not* loose you know?"  
  
"He's right." Memphis nodded and Mirror man puffed out his chest looking satisfied.  
  
"Not you." Memphis said "Donny. He's right. We should take break. *They've* spent the last two hours doing nothing. We're already well ahead of them and to be honest I doubt there even in this to win anyway. All they wanted was to make a deal, get us to boost the cars for them so they can sell them."  
  
Realization suddenly spread over the faces of the younger crew members.  
  
"So where do we go from here?" Otto ran a hand over his tired face and stood up.  
  
"I say we take 2 hours out. Go home, get some sleep, something to eat. Then we can regroup later and start again." He paused and looked around "Okay?"  
  
"Sure." They all agreed.  
  
Memphis turned to Sphinx "I think you should stay out of this now. You need to get some rest and maybe see a doctor. There's no need for you to come back. I have someone else I can use."  
  
Sphinx gave him a unyielding look that told Memphis he would definitely be back in two hours time.  
  
***  
  
.5.15pm.  
  
The tired crew trudged from the garage after Memphis was done talking, and soon only Sway and himself remained behind.  
  
"You go Sway." He tossed her her keys. "I want to be here incase the law does show up. Make it seem like a normal day."  
  
"Well in that case you would have someone else here with you." She put the corvette keys down again.  
  
He stared at her for a second, contemplating whether he had the energy for an argument and then shook his head and sat down.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Sway watched as he sunk down into a chair and closed his eyes, his head back. He looked so much older. His face was lined, he had nearly 30 hours worth of bags under his eyes and was way past a 5 o clock shadow.  
  
Ten years ago, he would have looked great by now. The adrenaline and passion would have made his eyes shine. He'd be bouncy and full of life, quickly stealing a kiss from Sway every time he passed her. He'd also probably be stupid enough to keep boosting right now, eager to push the boundaries as far as they would go.  
  
But now, now he just looked exhausted. He didn't want to be here, as much as he loved the actual boosting, he hated everything that it entailed. Cops, enemies, having people you love held up at gunpoint. Sway felt a pain in her chest as she stood there watching him, his strong, stern, resolve removed now that he was alone with her. She saw him for what he was right now, a tired, pissed-off, scared, man who would give anything to be at home, watching TV on the couch with Sway, fighting over who was going to defrost their dinner.  
  
"Dammit," she though "That's where he's going." But before she could reach over to grab his jacket there was a sharp rap on the garage door and Memphis's head snapped up, his eyes open.  
  
"Raines? You in there boy? I need a word."  
  
"Shit." Memphis cursed under his breath as he heaved himself to his feet to answer the door to Detective Castleback.  
  
***  
  
"No wait!" Sway whispered as he started forwards.  
  
"What?"  
  
She closed the gap between them quickly and began to undo the buttons of his black shirt.  
  
"Hardly the time or place Sway! What are you doing?"  
  
"You want to get rid of him fast right?" She asked re-buttoning the shirt again; purposely missing a few holes so that it sat lopsided.  
  
He smiled at her, as he realized what she was up to.  
  
"Good thinking." He reached up and tousled his hair as she un-tucked her tank top, unfastened the top button of the combats, and kicked of her shoes.  
  
"Raines! You there?" Castleback shouted again.  
  
"Yeah just a sec" He called back as he hurriedly took off his belt and began to walk towards the door, rubbing a hand over his lips as he went, trying to make them as red as possible.  
  
Sway sat down on a desk, messing her always unruly hair some more, and trying to look culpable. Not hard really.  
  
Memphis took a deep breath and opened the door to Detective Castleback.  
  
"Hey. How you doin'?" He asked shaking his hand and stepping aside and letting him past into the garage.  
  
"I'm doin' fine thanks." The Detective said looking around the room.  
  
Sway watched with amusement as he took in their ruffled appearance's and his expression change dramatically to one of slight embarrassment.  
  
"Er, sorry to, er - catch you at a bad time. But this wont take a second."  
  
Sway looked coyly at the floor a mischievous grin spreading over her face, whilst Memphis cleared his throat loudly.  
  
"What can we do for you?" He asked acting as if he'd just noticed that his shirt was buttoned all wrong and folding his arms across his chest hastily.  
  
"Well, we've had a record number of cars reported stolen today and I-"  
  
"I'm offended!" Memphis cut in looking hurt "You think we actually had something to do with this!?"  
  
"I have to check every avenue Raines. You know that."  
  
"You really think I'd be *that* stupid. I have a great life now you know that. I wouldn't do anything to mess that up."  
  
Swat felt her chest contract suddenly at his words.  
  
"I know, I know that. But you see, we got an odd description from a cop in pursuit of a stolen vehicle around 3.30 today." He looked over at Sway "Said the guy driving it had a *lot* of blonde hair."  
  
"What was he boosting?" Sway asked, malice in her eyes.  
  
"My hunch is that maybe it wasn't a he." Castleback said eyebrows raised.  
  
"Is that right."  
  
"Mmmm." He turned away from Sway and looked back at Memphis. "You had much business in here today?"  
  
"Not much, pretty slow."  
  
"How bout round 3.30pm."  
  
"I'm not sure. Sway?"  
  
She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist staring at Castleback levelly, enjoying the fact that she was making him uncomfortable again.  
  
"We had that girl come in with that sexy old Porsche. That must have been 'bout three, maybe four."  
  
"Yeah that's right!" Memphis smiled "You remember her name?"  
  
"Erm." Sway left him and walked over to the main desk "We have her invoice somewhere." She picked up the pre-prepared alibi that lay on the desk. "Rachel. Her name was Rachel Barnes. Wanted a wheel balance and new wiper blades."  
  
She handed the slip of paper to Castleback. "Her number and address are on there if you want to go check her out. And oh," She feigned astonishment "So's the time of her visit!"  
  
Castleback studied the invoice intently and then looked up at the couple and sighed. "Okay. I'll go follow this up then."  
  
"You do that." Said sway maliciously.  
  
"Goodbye Detective Castleback." Memphis smiled.  
  
The Detective looked at them for a second, trying to read them closer, and then as Sway's hand began to snaked its way around Memphis waist again and up under his shirt he started to back towards the door.  
  
"Just, stay out of trouble Raines." He warned "I don't want to find you've done something stupid."  
  
"You wont."  
  
"Good. And er, sorry to have - interrupted."  
  
And with that he left.  
  
Memphis let out a huge sigh of relief and sagged backwards against Sway.  
  
"Come on." She said giving his a squeeze and then pulling on her shoes and pocketing her keys. "Lets go home. We can do this for real." She added wiggling her eyebrows at him, and he followed her out of the door laughing.  
  
***  
  
.5.30pm.  
  
Rachel let herself into her apartment and flopped down heavily on the couch, her head back, eyes closed. She was *tired*. She hadn't felt tired in years. But then again, she hadn't boosted in years. She had to admit it was around the time that she'd quit that her insomnia had kicked in.  
  
"I need to get into some extreme sports." She said to herself as she rubbed a hand over her face.  
  
Adrenaline was what she needed. A hit of adrenaline knocked her out and made her actually *need* sleep. She liked the feeling, but didn't quite feel ready to risk it for a stint in a cell.  
  
"Stunt driving." She mumbled as she drifted off into a deep slumber, her day finally washing over her.  
  
***  
  
.5.33pm.  
  
Sphinx opened his bathroom cabinet and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and some suture strips. He looked in the mirror at the cut on his head and gritted his teeth as he held up a stinging pad of antiseptic to it.  
  
It didn't look so bad. Just a small cut, and he didn't feel dizzy anymore. Superficial, he'd had much worse.  
  
He did a little first aid, placing some of the suture strips over the wound, and then admired his handy work. Not bad, but that's punk ass kid wasn't going to get away with this so easy. Memphis's revenge would seem mild compared to what he had planned.  
  
***  
  
.5.35pm.  
  
"You have nothing in this damn fridge man!" Called Tumbler "Half a jar of mayo, and what could have been cheese, a LONG time ago."  
  
He walked from the grubby little kitchen of Kip's rundown apartment, into the living room, where his friend sat on the beat up old sofa channel surfing.  
  
"Hell man how do you live?" Tumbler asked dropping down next to him.  
  
Kip gestured to the stack of empty pizza boxes on the floor by the couch.  
  
"Take out."  
  
Tumbler laughed, "Don't you ever go to your mom's. Or Memphis's! Sway'd feed you if you asked right?"  
  
"Yeah sure," Kip looked at his friend sarcastically "Like she can cook. They live off frozen meals and Junie's casseroles. And yes, I go to my moms on a Sunday."  
  
"Jeeze." Tumbler picked up the phone and ordered them a large pizza and some fries from the takeout place they always used.  
  
"This is really no way to live man." Tumbler commented as he hung up. "You're gonna get sick or some shit dude."  
  
"Not all of us have the luxury of payoff's from daddy okay man? I'm quite happy here."  
  
"It's a dump Kip."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Couldn't you move in with Memphis?"  
  
"No! I refuse to admit defeat to him ok? I can make my own way."  
  
"Obviously!" Tumbler gestured around as the electricity flickered. "It could have some advantages you know." He grinned.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like you might get a glimpse of Sway half dressed!" He chuckled lewdly  
  
"Oh Jesus Tumbler! You're sick you know that?"  
  
"Me! Seriously dude there's something wrong with *you*. You have that girl draped all over you and it doesn't seem to bother you."  
  
"Tumbler. She's my brother's girlfriend, I value my life okay? Besides Sway's - Sway. You know?"  
  
"Exactly! She's hot." Tumbler said exasperated.  
  
"Can we not talk about her like this please. Pass me a soda."  
  
"Okay okay fine." He handed Kip a coke. "What about Rachel? Can we talk about her like that?"  
  
Kip grinned "Definitely!"  
  
***  
  
.5.40pm.  
  
Otto sat at his kitchen table, staring down into a mug of steaming coffee. He heard Junie enter behind him and sit down in a chair opposite.  
  
"You okay hun?" She asked concerned "You don't look so good."  
  
He lifted his head and smiled at her "I'm fine sweetness, I'm fine."  
  
They sat in silence for a while, Otto sipping his drink, and then Junie spoke quietly.  
  
"You're worried aren't you? You don't think they're not gonna do it."  
  
Otto sighed "Its not that I don't think they can win this, to be honest I'm pretty sure we already have." He shook his head and looked back down into the dregs of his coffee "I just don't trust Johnny. He's not in this to win, and he's crazy with a capital C."  
  
"You think he'll change the rules?"  
  
"He can't afford to do anything that would devalue him to the big players, but we still know he's a loose cannon. He tried to shoot Sway this afternoon."  
  
"What?" Junie's eyes got wide and she looked imploringly at her husband "Is she okay?"  
  
"She's fine, she's fine. You know what she's like. That girl has more lives than a cat!"  
  
Junie smiled "But you're still worried?"  
  
Otto smiled back, his wife always knew. She knew exactly how he was feeling and what he was thinking. He nodded. "Castleback's snooping around some now too. Memphis just rang me. Lots of the boosts have been reported."  
  
Junie reached across the table and cupped one of his hands in hers "They're sensible kids hun. They know what they're doing, you taught them well."  
  
"I know they can boost well, damn Memphis is the best damn car thief I've ever seen! I'm just worried that he's gonna do something stupid. He never truly had what he does now."  
  
"Sway?"  
  
Otto nodded  
  
***  
  
.5.45pm.  
  
Sway unlocked the door to the apartment and walked inside dropping her keys on the mail stand and her coat on the back of the chair. It seemed like years since they'd last been here.  
  
Memphis looked at Sways jacket hanging defiantly over the back of its usual chair and shook his head, he didn't care, the fact that she was actually still here to do that was all that mattered.  
  
For the hundredth time since it had happened, he unwillingly replayed the horrifying moment in his mind. Johnny's finger tightening on the trigger, the look on Sway's face. A shudder ran through him. He needed to get rid of that image.  
  
Memphis watched Sway as she began to walk from the door and an incontrollable need ran through his body. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him. Then he backed her against the wall, and making certain that there were no spaces between them, he kissed her. Passionately, urgently.  
  
Sway stood ridged at first, surprised, but then she relaxed and sank into the kiss. After all this time, Memphis still drove her crazy. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he placed his hands lightly on her hips. A low moan escaped his lips and she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist and he carried her into the bedroom. Dropping her lightly onto the bed and crawling over her, he looked deeply into her eyes, currently flecked with desire.  
  
"Where did this come from?" She asked breathlessly.  
  
"I just need to make sure I'm not dreaming." He mumbled as he pulled her tank top up over her head.  
  
She sighed and her eyes softened. "You're not Memphis," She traced a finger gently along his jaw bone "I'm fine, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Promise?" He asked kissing her lightly as he began to undo her pants.  
  
"Promise." She breathed.  
  
The combats discarded he looked down at her lace underwear and grinned. "I'm still waiting for the heels."  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as he hooked a finger in the waistband of the panties.  
  
"Maybe I'll have to borrow the stilettos Rachel used for the Porsche scout." She said.  
  
"How 'bout the whole outfit?" He grinned mischievously.  
  
She raised her eyebrows at him "You 'aint getting me in a skirt Memphis Raines."  
  
His voice pitched low and his eyes darkened "You sure?"  
  
"Yes." She said defiantly.  
  
He planted a trail of kisses down her chest to her navel and traced a gentle finger over the tattoo on her hip.  
  
"Sure, you're sure?" He asked again.  
  
"Mmnh." She answered as she closed her eyes dreamily.  
  
A couple of seconds later it all became too much for her and she flipped him over onto his back and kissed him passionately.  
  
He chuckled against her lips and she began to undo the buttons of his shirt for the second time in half an hour.  
  
"How does he do that?" She thought to herself "How does he still drive me so crazy?"  
  
***  
  
.5.53pm.  
  
Rachel was dragged from her welcomed slumber by an offence banging on her door. She growled and opened one sleepy eye. Then it dawned on her, the alibi, the Detective.  
  
"Ah shit." She mumbled to herself pushing up off the couch.  
  
She grabbed an old, gray Lakers sweatshirt from her bedroom and pulled it down over her slightly oil stained t-shirt.  
  
The knocking got louder "Just a second!" She called, stalking over the door, throwing back the lock and pulling it open.  
  
The guy standing before her was tall and dark. He wore slacks, a gray woolen sweater, and had "cop" written all over his face.  
  
"Rachel Barnes?" He asked by way of greeting.  
  
"Yes." She replied sharply willing herself not to lose her cool. "And you would be?"  
  
"Detective Castleback ma'am," He held out a hand for her to shake and flashed her his badge "You mind if I asked you a couple of questions?"  
  
"What about?" She asked, trying to look confused.  
  
"There have been some auto theft's reported and I would like to talk to you about a garage you may or may not have visited today."  
  
"Yeah got my car fixed today. Ask away." She made no move to let him inside the apartment however, still standing in the doorway.  
  
"Could you tell me the name of the garage you visited, and the time you were there?"  
  
"Sure, I took my car to a place I never used before. My brother recommended it to me. Called "Otto's Autos", down on long beach. I was there bout 3.15pm I guess. Why? What's happened?"  
  
"That's what I'm here to establish." He smiled politely.  
  
"Could you tell me what they did to your car?'  
  
"My wipers were playin' up so they fixed em, and they did something to my tires too. Its an old car, needs stuff doin' all the time."  
  
"And this is the first time you visited this particular garage?"  
  
"Yessir."  
  
"Could you describe anyone there for me? Anyone you talked to? The person who carried out the work?"  
  
"Sure, erm, there was this old guy there, he was the Otto of "Otto's Autos" I think." She counted them off on her fingers looking up at the ceiling "Some other guy, tall, mid thirties he did the work on the car. And there was a woman there too."  
  
"A woman? Could you describe her for me? Was she older, red hair?"  
  
"No, no." Rachel shook her head vehemently "This was a young woman. Bout my age I guess. Weird lookin', had lots of blonde dreadlocks, covered in grease." She turned up her nose as if this offended her.  
  
The Detective's face seemed to fall a little and Rachel had to try her hardest to stifle a grin.  
  
"Did you catch her name?"  
  
"Er, no. They did keep calling something to her. But I'm not sure if it was her name. Kinda weird sounding."  
  
"Right. Okay." He smiled at her again and backed away from the door. "Thanks for your help miss Barnes."  
  
"Pleasure." She nodded.  
  
Rachel was just about to close the door when he called over from the stairs.  
  
"Oh. One last thing. What kind of car do you have?"  
  
"A Porsche 911. A red one."  
  
He grinned and winked at her "Nice."  
  
"Its okay." She shrugged "Heap of shit keeps breaking down on me."  
  
He waved goodbye and she shut her door and leant back against it.  
  
"I'm sorry Maria." She whispered, "I swear to god I didn't mean it."  
  
***  
  
Sway looked down into Memphis's eyes, breathing heavily. The front wisps of her hair sticking to her clammy forehead.  
  
She let out a soft moan as she lent in to kiss him and then rolled over so that she lay with her head on his chest, his arms encircling her bare waist, hands splayed out on her stomach.  
  
"Mmmmmm." She mumbled, a contented smile spreading across her relaxed features. As he planted gentle kisses in her hair.  
  
"That was." He breathed, seemingly at a loss to find a word to describe exactly how it was.  
  
"Definitely." Her grin got wider and she rolled back on top of him and shrugged her eyebrows at him. "Maybe." She paused to kiss him briefly "I should." Another soft kiss "Get held up. At gunpoint. More often."  
  
He frowned "No thanks. But maybe the shoes would do it." He grinned and she giggled and kissed him again before curling up on his chest.  
  
They lay like that for a long time. Sway had never felt as safe, as contented as she did right then. Memphis's arms wrapped around her, listening to his heart beating in his chest.  
  
Slowly his breathing steadied and became much more rhythmic and Sway knew he'd fallen asleep. She was glad. As much as she didn't want this time in her haven to end, she wanted him to rest. He needed it.  
  
Quietly, carefully, she slid from his arms and climbed from the bed. She pulled on a big black t-shirt that advertised a beer brand, snagged some clothes from the wardrobe and crept into the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
As the hot water sluiced over her body and through her unruly hair, she lent against the wall and closed her eyes. Her feeling of euphoria was beginning to fade, replaced by anger as she remembered the desperation in Memphis's eyes, his voice, his touch. Johnny had done that. He was the cause of all of this, her bike, the bet, Memphis.  
  
She was going to make sure he paid for it all in the end.  
  
The police were going to be the last of his worries when she'd finished with him.  
  
***End chapter 20*** 


	24. Coming soon

Chapter 23 is coming soon ...  
  
On the 12th of December log on for:  
  
"Ask me no questions, I shall tell you no lies." 


	25. Ask me no questions, I shall tell you no...

For Amy. My biggest fan, and possibly the greatest person ever. This is for always being there for me, for helping me through my shit and for making me smile. You're a great friend whatever you may think and I don't know what I'd do with out you! Happy 18th Birthday babe! My little councillor, my msn buddy. My saviour.  
  
And now, on with the show!!!!  
  
Chapter 23.  
  
.5.59pm.  
  
Kip climbed into his beat up old Humvee and pulled out of the apartment lot quickly. The truth was, he didn't need to see his brother as much as he just needed to get away from Tumbler.  
  
As much as he loved his best friend, today he needed something else. Tumbler always glorified everything that was going on, making it seem more light-hearted than it actually was. He coated everything in a sickly sweet layer of pride and tough man front, pretending that the day didn't bother him, laughing it all off. It was his way of dealing with things, but it eventually started to grate on Kip.  
  
What he needed right now was to face up to his problems, not blatantly ignore them. Right now he needed someone he could feel close to without any underlying uneasiness. He needed to be able to feel he could be himself. He needed Sway.  
  
***  
  
.6.04pm.  
  
The cold air of the bathroom was an unwelcome shock after the steamy haven that Sway had created in the shower cubicle. She shivered and dressed quickly in clean underwear and a fresh pair of leather pants. Wrapping her sopping dreadlocks up into a towel she padded quietly out of the bathroom and back across the adjacent bedroom where Memphis still slept soundly. She paused briefly and stole a glance at him, before heading out into the living room. She was not surprised to find Kip slouched on the couch.  
  
"Hey." She greeted him.  
  
Kip looked up from where he sat as Sway wandered past him into the kitchen, towel drying her hair.  
  
"Hey." He returned, totally oblivious to the fact that she was half naked.  
  
Sexuality had never really been an issue between the pair. Sure, when he'd first met her, Kip had found Sway irresistible. They all had. She had been the epitome of womanhood to them, the biggest boy racers sex symbol. All, dark hair, oil, tattoos and piercing blue eyes. It was why Memphis had gone so crazy over her, she was an equal, untouchable. Kip had thought so to at the time, but romantic thoughts never even entered his head nowadays, they seemed incestuous somehow.  
  
"You hungry?" Sway yelled form the kitchen.  
  
"No." He replied.  
  
Sway's head appeared around the kitchen door, a frown on her face "You're always hungry."  
  
He laughed "I just ate a whole pizza."  
  
Sway gave a little shrug and ducked back into the other room. She returned a few seconds later, laden with Chinese food cartons, a bread roll clenched between her teeth. Kip chuckled as she sat down, transferring her cold, left-over's feast, onto the coffee table.  
  
"What?" She asked settling back next to him.  
  
"Healthy Sway, real healthy."  
  
"You just ate a whole pizza!"  
  
"Yeah, but at least mine was fresh! How long has that shit been in your fridge?"  
  
"What are you? Department of health!? If it smells bad I don't eat it. That's worked fine for me for the past 28 years!"  
  
He laughed again and she flicked a cold noodle at him and put a finger to her lips.  
  
"Memphis is asleep."  
  
He stifled his laugher and picked the piece of food off his shirt.  
  
"How's he doin'?" He asked, not looking up.  
  
Sway sighed "Hard to tell. You know Memphis."  
  
Kip nodded rolling his eyes.  
  
They paused for a second, whilst Sway ate some food, comfortable in each other's silence.  
  
"What's up Kip?" Sway quizzed as she lent forward to inspect the other food cartons she'd brought.  
  
He smiled wearily at her, grateful for her directness. She settled back so that she sat sideways on the couch, her back against Kips solid shoulder. And she listened. As she always did. Letting Kip talk whilst she ate, never once voicing her own fears. She was a pillar of strength in his world and took it upon herself to remain that way, at all costs.  
  
***  
  
.6.15pm.  
  
Rachel shaded her eyes from the dipping afternoon sun as she reached up and basketed another perfect lay-up shot. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face as she ran to retrieve the ball. A scuffled noise made her instantly aware of someone behind her and she turned quickly. She was surprised to see Sphinx standing at the entrance to the small basketball court.  
  
Curiosity flashed through her eyes and then was quickly gone. Nothing Sphinx did surprised any of them, not even that he knew where she lived.  
  
She grinned at him and bounced the ball playfully at her feet. "You wanna play some B ball lurch?"  
  
The corner of his mouth cracked up a fraction of an inch and he shrugged his eyebrows.  
  
"What's the matter?" She skilfully flicked the ball between her legs and then back around to the front whilst Sphinx slowly approached her, "You scared? Hmmm?" She cocked her head and pouted.  
  
Quick as a flash Sphinx stretched forwards and snatched the ball from Rachel's grasp, catching her off guard and sending a flash of shock through her whisky eyes.  
  
He began to bounce the ball at his own feet and his stern face showed the smallest hint of playfulness.  
  
Rachel threw Sphinx a malicious smile and cocked a finger at him in a come- to-me gesture, "Bring it on big boy."  
  
***  
  
.6.28pm.  
  
Memphis stood at the doorway to the living room smiling at the sight before him. Sway lay across the couch, her head resting on Kips knees. She was laughing hard, so hard that tears glistened behind her eyes. Kip had a huge dollop of slimy noodles on the end of his nose and was trying unsuccessfully to scowl at the woman that had put it there. A mischievous gleam entered his features and he raised the food carton that he was holding high above Sways head. She abruptly stopped laughing and her eyes opened wide with panic.  
  
"Don't even think about it." Memphis warned.  
  
They both turned, shocked to see him there, looking like a couple of kids caught in the cookie jar.  
  
Memphis laughed despite of himself and Sway grinned up at Kip.  
  
"Busted!" She snickered as he lowered his arm sulkily and wiped the food off his nose.  
  
In two long strides Memphis stood before the couch and scooped a still giggling Sway up into his arms.  
  
She shrieked in shock and flung her arms around his neck. He bent in close, so his lips were millimetres from hers.  
  
"Were you being a bad girl too miss Wayland?"  
  
"Hell yeah." She murmured, the corners of her mouth twitching up a fraction of an inch before he kissed her, feverently.  
  
He was freshly shaved and dressed in clean black jeans and T-shirt. Sway hadn't even noticed he'd woken up, let alone shaved and changed. Everything moulded to his body perfectly and he smelled edible. If she hadn't just had the mother of all orgasms she'd have had his clothes off before they reached the bedroom door.  
  
"Jeeze." Tumbler whispered as he turned away from the couple's steamy embrace.  
  
They pulled apart at his muttering and Memphis set Sway back down on the floor.  
  
"Did we wake you?" She asked brushing the hair from her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, but I needed to be up anyway. I have a couple of things that I have to do."  
  
"Okay." Sway nodded. She didn't ask what, it was an unwritten rule in their circle. Ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies."  
  
***  
  
.6.47pm.  
  
Tumbler pulled his truck up to the doors of the garage. "Back again." He thought wistfully. He was going to go out and get *very* drunk when this was all over.  
  
Glancing around he noticed that the only car missing was Memphis's. Tumbler had never been very good with names, but he *always* remember cars. He could tell you exactly what car a person he'd met once, for five minutes, drove. It was his talent, his memory for cars, and came in very useful.  
  
Everyone else was there. There was Rachel's sexy Porsche 911 glistening in the twilight, Kips hulking Humvee, Sway 'vette, Donny's old Jag. Everything down to Junie's little yellow bug. Everything except for Eleanor.  
  
It felt odd, unbalanced somehow, to have that particular car missing and it made Tumbler feel very uneasy and leaderless. For a brief moment he considered turning around and going back, but then it was gone and he reached for the door handle shaking his head. Maybe it was that pizza he'd eaten.  
  
He ambled into the garage to find everyone in familiar situations. It soothed him. Not that he knew what he'd expected, he just felt better now that he could see everyone acting so normally.  
  
Donny and Mirror were bickering good-naturedly whilst Toby sat back watching, idly chewing on his thumbnail. Sphinx stood in a dark corner, a band-aid on his head, doing what he did best. Nothing. Tumbler often wondered if the huge man might be a reptile. He just seemed to shut down. He didn't blink or visibly move. He just stood.  
  
Kip and Sway sat on a desk, deep in conversation. He envied that, the relationship his best friend had with Sway. He'd never had that, the closeness they shared. Of course, he had an ulterior motive for wanting to be that close to Sway - she was hot! And speaking of hot. . . . .  
  
He scanned the room looking for Rachel, and when he located her he sucked in a sharp breath. Rachel, along with everyone else, had changed into her darks ready for the night ahead. But, where as Sway, in her black leather pants and dark grey baby-T looked hot, Rachel looked lethal!  
  
She sported baggy black cargo pants that hung low on her hips, and a tight back T-shirt that left a slither of her midriff bare. She carried black well, with her dark features, dark hair and pale skin. She looked dangerous and untouchable, and that fact made Tumbler want her even more.  
  
As he gazed on, she slowly turned her head in his direction, obviously aware that someone was watching her. She gave Tumbler a long level stare, a cigarette poised between her fingers.  
  
Eventually he looked away hurriedly and scurried off. Man, that girl had him whipped!  
  
***  
  
.6.55pm.  
  
Memphis stepped out into the fading twilight and adjusted dark glasses over his eyes. He placed what he had just collected into the inside pocket of his jacket and sighed. He'd known form the second that that bomb had ripped through his garage that he had to do this, but it still terrified him to the core. The thought of what was to come, the possible upshot to his actions.  
  
Looking down at his watch he noticed that it was 6.55pm and as he began to walk back to his car he pulled out his cell phone. He dialled a number and fished his car keys from his pocket as he stood besides a glistening Eleanor.  
  
After 3 rings someone answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, its Memphis. Can you be at the garage within the next half hour? I may need your help with something."  
  
"Do I get to find out what this 'something' is?"  
  
"Can you make it?" Memphis repeated.  
  
The other person paused for a second before replying. "Sure. See you in 20."  
  
Memphis disconnected and climbed into his car. It was almost 7pm and he knew that everyone would be waiting for him, but as he drove down the street his thoughts were only of one person. For he knew that by the end of the day his and Sways lives would be significantly changed, one way or another.  
  
.End Chapter 23.  
  
AN/ sorry it's not so long or action packed, but it needed to be done. Next chapter, find out who Memphis was talking to and join the crew as they get back to business.  
  
Happy 18th Birthday Amy. x 


	26. The Fish

Chapter 22.  
  
.7.02pm...  
  
At 7.02pm Sway sighed at the familiar rumble of Memphis's Mustang in the driveway. It wasn't like him to be late, and although she'd never ask, she couldn't help but wonder what he'd been up to.  
  
He walked over and sat down next to her "Hey."  
  
"Hey yourself. The troops are all here, ready to go. And I mean *all*." She jerked her head in Sphinx's direction.  
  
"Shit." He rubbed his hand over his face in a frustrated gesture "I'm gonna have to go talk with him. He shouldn't be here."  
  
"Rach saw him before, and she said he seems fine." Sway offered.  
  
"Rachel? Rachel saw Sphinx?"  
  
She shrugged "Go figure huh? That's Sphinx, expect the unexpected! Apparently they shot a couple of hoops and he left. I don't know. Nothing he does surprises me anymore."  
  
"Basketball?" Memphis questioned "Hey," he grinned "you reckon old Sphinxy has a crush?"  
  
Sway laughed "Honey, I'm not even sure if Sphinx has internal organs, let alone emotions!"  
  
His grin widened and he rose to his feet. "I'm still gonna have to talk with him. Cant risk anymore screw ups."  
  
"Sure." Sway shrugged and looked over to where Sphinx stood silent and alone in the shadows. As always.  
  
***  
  
Memphis returned a couple of minutes later, his looked steely, his demeanour pissed.  
  
"Let me guess," Sway pulled another cigarette from the packet with her teeth "He's staying right?"  
  
"Looks that way."  
  
"Don't worry about it Memphis," She mumbled as she lit her smoke "He'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah well I already called someone else. Asked them to come join us. Even if Sphinx is staying, we had a spare space, why not fill it."  
  
As if on cue the door of the garage banged open and a joyful voice rang out.  
  
"Weeeeeeell! Aint it a sassy little crew we got goin' on here Rainy-boy!"  
  
"Oh for fucks sakes." Sway hissed under her breath "Memphis, get rid of him, get rid of him now."  
  
Frankie Fish was a short, wiry, greasy little man and had always reminded Sway of a weasel. He wore loud clothes and had a voice to match. He loved to stir up trouble and was the bane of most people's existence. However, Frankie had an amazing and unfitting talent for wheeling, dealing and pretty much any illegal activity you could think of. He was brilliant at *everything*, and unfortunately, he knew it. The fact that he knew how valuable he was to *all* the players in the city added up to one thing. Frankie was an asshole.  
  
Memphis smiled tightly at him "Hey. Thanks for coming."  
  
"No problem my friend, when people need The Fish they need The Fish!" He shook Memphis's hand limply and quickly scanned his surroundings. "Phew! We really do have a gathering going on here don't we Rainy-boy!"  
  
"Mmmm." Memphis agreed his false smile still stuck firmly in place.  
  
"If it isn't old chatterbox over there in the corner." He grinned at Sphinx who flicked out his switchblade and glared.  
  
"Yeah. Listen Frankie, here's the deal. We got.." Memphis started before Frankie cut him off.  
  
"Sway! How's it going hot stuff?" Frankie walked over to her and made a move to kiss her hand.  
  
"Don't even try it!" She snapped.  
  
Frankie chuckled "Still as sassy as ever I see hot stuff. Man, I missed you. And you know, you could show a little courtesy towards me, what with me coming all the way down here to help your boyfriend and all!" He reached out and drew a finger down the side of Sways face.  
  
She closed her eyes in disgust and turned her face away. Memphis could practically see the blood boiling under her skin and could have sworn her heard her growl.  
  
"Who the fuck do you think you are! Get your dirty little mitts off of her."  
  
Frankie whipped around and stared at Rachel. "I could ask you the same thing honey. You don't talk to the Fish like that, you hear me?"  
  
Rachel stood for a second, dumfounded by his bottle, before getting her composure back "Don't even *try* to tell me what to do." She seethed.  
  
"Rainy-boy!" Frankie called not taking his eyes off Rachel "I think you'd better explain to this little honey, that we are always, *always* nice to the Fish if we want his services."  
  
"Rachel.." Memphis started before Rachel cut him off.  
  
"Did you just call me 'little honey'?" She asked malice punctuating her every word.  
  
"Rachel! Leave it." Memphis warned.  
  
She whipped around to look at him. "Are you serious? This asshole needs a slap!"  
  
"Excuse me!" Frankie flung his hands in the air "Asshole?" He strode forwards and with a surprisingly strong grip, wrapped his hand around Rachel's neck. Not hard enough to cut off her air, but hard enough so that she daren't move.  
  
"Nobody, NOBODY!" He spat at her "Calls me an asshole honey. Okay! I can do what the fuck I like you stupid little bitch!" He shook her  
  
"Frankie." Memphis tried to reason with him. "Let her go okay."  
  
"Shut the hell up Rainy-boy! I am NOT happy okay? Don't make it any worse."  
  
"Get off her." Sway hissed, "Now!"  
  
"Ooooooh! Hot stuff's getting ballsy now too is she? Rainy you should really try to keep your BITCHES under control!" He screamed the last few words in Rachel's face.  
  
"Come on Frankie calm down." Otto said gently.  
  
"No! Why should I? I want that bitch," He jerked his head in Sways direction "to apologise to me, and I want this bitch," he shook Rachel again "to grovel! And then get the hell out of here!"  
  
"Why don't you get the hell outta here?!" Mirror stepped forwards.  
  
"Mirror-man! Shut the fuck up!" Memphis warned.  
  
"I'm waiting." Frankie sang at Rachel, ignoring Mirror's comments "Grovel honey, grovel good!"  
  
"Memphis!" Sway yelled "You'd better make this asshole leave. Now! We don't need him."  
  
"Shut up Sway!" He yelled back "You're not helping here!"  
  
"You still have to apologise yet hot stuff. I suggest you pay attention to your boyfriend!" He turned back to Rachel "Well come on. Get grovelling, Honey!"  
  
"Drop dead." She hissed, and then she spat in his face.  
  
Frankie stood stunned for a second, and then his grip on Rachel's neck got tighter and he exploded "YOU FUCKING STUPID LITTLE WHORE! DIRTY LITTLE BITCHES SPIT! YOU SHOULD BE STRUNG UP AND."  
  
There was a flash of something in Rachel's left eye and then Frankie crumpled to the floor. She stepped back and sucked in a lungful of air her head bowed.  
  
"Shit Rach." Sway ran over, barging past Memphis "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." She looked up to where tumbler stood, massaging his fist and standing over an unconscious Frankie. She smiled "Thanks man."  
  
He grinned back at her and nudged Frankie with his foot "No problem."  
  
"Jerk needed a damn smack if you ask me!" Mirror enthused, slapping tumbler on the back. "You did us all a favour!"  
  
"Yeah? And what the hell are we gonna do now?" Memphis shook his head "We needed him."  
  
"No we didn't." Sway said coldly "We're fine on our own. There's nothing wrong with Sphinx!" She gestured over at him "And even if there was I didn't think you'd ever subject us to *that*!" She punctuated her last word by giving Frankie a swift kick in the stomach.  
  
"Sway!" He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Oh just leave it Memphis!" She spat. "Otto! Gimme a boost sheet. Rachel, you're coming with me."  
  
Memphis shook his head in exasperation "Fine! Get angry. Why change the habit of a lifetime Sway!"  
  
"Oh grow up!" She hissed snatching a sheet from Otto and striding towards the door "I'll leave you to clear this mess up seeing as you got us into it. Oh and Memphis?" She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around "Don't ever tell me to shut up."  
  
"Don't give me Goddamn orders then!" He yelled as she left the building. A hand on his shoulder stopped him as he started after her and he turned and looked over at Otto.  
  
"Leave her." He said softly "Leave her to cool down. We have work to do."  
  
Memphis stared at his oldest friend for a second before nodding softly and turning back towards the group, all of whom had all shrunk back from the fight.  
  
"Tumbler! Put Frankie upstairs." He snapped "And you lot, get boosting!"  
  
***  
  
.7.25pm.  
  
Rachel glanced across at her friend; they had been driving around in complete silence for about 10 minutes. Sway was slumped down in her seat, her eyes dark and angry, her face hard-set. She wrenched the tan Ford Estate into 5th in another vicious gear change, and Rachel raised her eyebrows.  
  
"You keep doing that and we're gonna be walking to this boost."  
  
"Doing what?" Sway mumbled  
  
"Slamming this poor little hunk of shit through its paces. It's a Ford honey, not a tank."  
  
"Don't call me honey."  
  
"Oh give it a rest Sway. This is me you're talking to. I'll call you what I goddamn like."  
  
"Alright! Fine. Sweetheart!"  
  
"Sugar!"  
  
"Love!"  
  
"Baby doll!"  
  
Sway laughed, she couldn't help it. "Baby doll?"  
  
Rachel grinned, "Tumbler." She said by way of explanation.  
  
"Ahhhh. He really has no clue does he?"  
  
Rachel laughed and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Nope. I've never seen any guy make this much of a fool of himself over and over again."  
  
"Give him credit. His shot at Frankie was a serious thumbs up."  
  
"Mmmm." Rachel nodded as she lit up and swung a foot up to rest on the dash "The first sign of the real him I've seen."  
  
"Plus, at least he didn't just stand around with his thumb up his ass like some people." She scowled out of the window.  
  
"Give him a break Sway. This is really hard for Memphis, he's just trying to do what he thinks is right. I think what happened this afternoon with Johnny really shit him up you know."  
  
"Shit him up! What about me!" She took the cigarette Rachel offered.  
  
"You're not the one who's fault it is though are you? Imagine if the tables were turned. How would you feel? Would you have hired Frankie if you thought it would help keep *him* safe?"  
  
Sway fell silent and kept looking ahead. They rode for another few minutes in silence, until Rachel finished her smoke and flicked the butt out the passenger window.  
  
"Hey, you know what we just did?" She asked rolling her window back up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Girl talk!" She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows at Sway.  
  
"You tell anyone, I'll kill ya."  
  
"Right back atcha."  
  
*** End Chapter 22 *** 


	27. Starter's Pistol

Chapter 23.

For the next few hours Otto sat at his desk and watched as car after beautiful car rolled in, and then out again. Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, BMW's. Few words were spoken, what needed to be said?

Otto intentionally paired Sway with Rachel for most of her boosts. They did not need any more trouble and the girls worked well together. They returned with another car, the sheen of adrenalin-fuelled excitement, still holding in their eyes.

"Hey there ladies. How's it going?" Otto asked pulling another boost sheet from the pile.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Rachel beamed "I just got Belle. That car is hot shit; I always wanted to drive one of those!"

Belle was a 1995 Maclaren F1.

Otto grinned and handed her the piece of paper.

"I'm gonna sit this one out Rach." Sway called over her shoulder as she strolled to the back of the garage and sank into a chair.

"Ok. Whatever man. See you later." She gave Otto a quick look and turned on her heel just as Mirror and Tumbler walked through the door.

"Hey Tyson!" She called, "Fancy a ride in a Lambo?"

Tumbler grinned "Sure."

After a while Memphis returned alone from a boost and Otto listened to the unmistakable roar of an old Porsche as his pick was driven away. The old man took a deep breath preparing himself for fireworks.

"Hey son. How's it goin?" He asked sorting another sheet from the tangle on his desk.

"Yeah. Okay." Memphis had barely strung together one full sentence since the earlier trouble with Frankie.

Debating whether to bring it up, but deciding it was better sorted now rather than in the crucial last few hours of the boost, Otto jerked his thumb over his shoulder in Sway's direction "I think you got someone waiting for you back there. Been here a while."

Memphis's eyebrows shot up and he stood still for a second before advancing towards the back of the garage. Otto buried his head in paperwork and prayed for patience.

Memphis stood in front of Sway and neither party spoke for a good few seconds.

"Hey." She finally ventured.

"Hey yourself."

Sway pulled her cigarettes from her pocket and tapped the pack on her leg to shake one free.

"I wish you wouldn't" Memphis gestured at the box.

"Why?" She raised a smoke to her lips anyway, defiantly.

"Because I don't like it when you smoke, it reminds me too much of old times, and the reasons you did it."

"The old times are the best baby." She smiled insincerely and lit the cigarette.

Memphis made an indignant noise.

"Come on," Sway gestured around "You're not enjoying this? Even just a little?"

"No. I'm really not." He pulled up a chair. "This seriously isn't my idea of fun."

"Are you shittin' me!? The cars, the adrenaline – "

"The guns, the cops?"

Sway fell silent and Memphis kicked back in his chair, wiping a hand across his face.

"Sway, I'm really sorry about Frankie okay?"

She let out an infuriated snort and he shook his head softly. "I know. I know he's a complete asshole and it was a stupid thing to do getting him out here, but I didn't know what else to do okay." He gestured forcefully with one hand. "Things were falling apart at the seams here. I'm not as good at this as I used to be. I'm older and I'm wiser but I have more to lose; and I can't lose this bet Sway. I just _can't_. I have too much riding on it."

"We won't." She said

"We might." He lent back in his chair and pushed the heels of his hands against his eyes.

Sway sat for a second watching the strong powerful man she thought she knew crumbling before he and her resolve faded.

"No Memphis," He sat upright and looked at her as she leant forwards and placed her hands on his knees "We _will not_ lose. We're doing great okay, you're doing great! We can do this."

He frowned and searched her deep, rich eyes. "I hope you're right."

"I am."

"You know we could just leave." He stared at her earnestly and she sat back looping her fingers behind her head.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"You could have died today."

"I could have died plenty of times in the past Memphis. It comes with the territory."

"I was young and stupid in the past. I didn't know what I had to lose."

"Yeah well you haven't lost anything now. I'm fine." She winked at him playfully but his expression remained serious.

"No you're not. You're far from fine." They stared silently at one another for a few seconds, Sway remaining defiant before Memphis sighed and rubbed a hand over his face again. "But I guess that's something I'll have to deal with when this is all over."

She raised an eyebrow "What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't reply and Sway narrowed her eyes.

"I told you Memphis, I'm fine. Full working order. You don't have to worry about me okay."

"But I do. And I can't help that. I know you Sway, you're fine whilst you've still got so much to think about. As soon as this all stops it will hit you and it's a big weight this time. Just promise me you won't do anything crazy." He reached over and took her hand.

She stood up and moved so that she was straddling his lap. "I promise." She whispered in his ear.

Memphis sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist enjoying the feeling of her warm breath against the shell of his ear.

A sound of a voice being cleared pulled them from their own little world and Memphis growled. It was Otto.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry, but I thought I'd better give you something." He passed Sway a boost sheet.

"Yeah baby." Sway smiled and turned the piece of paper around to show Memphis what was written upon it.

**Amy – Ferrari F40**

**  
**

For the final few hours as the fiery orange sun forced its way up over the water, the gang raced around for an array of last minute boosts. Sway remained teamed up with Rachel, the small piece of paper with the F40's location written upon it tucked tightly into her back pocket. Within the haze of shiny, expensive boosts Memphis's voice suddenly floated across the airwaves.

"Oh Swaaaaaaaay!" He called, his voice laced with a school boy taunt.

"What?" She asked cautiously.

"I just trampled your little record sweetie. 25 seconds! Beat that!"

"Yeah you do!" Mirror man interjected.

"Can anyone verify that one boss man?" Rachel quizzed as she glanced across at Sway a sly little grin on her face.

"Yep." Donny answered "25 on the dot. Sorry ladies."

"Hey, it aint over yet little boys okay, we still got 90 minutes till this bet ends!" Rachel retorted.

"Yeah!" Sway cut in, "and Raines, I'm gonna kick _your_ ass little boy."

"Sure you are, s_weetheart_."

Sway could hear the humour and cockiness dripping from his voice.

"We've resorted to name calling now have we?" Rachel asked.

Memphis laughed. "I'm sorry girls, but I think you'll have a job beating 25. I'm going to be boosting that lovely shiny F40 for sure!"

"Not a chance." Sway replied slowly.

"Come on Sway!" Memphis laughed "A bet's a bet. I bet you the boost of the Ferrari that I could beat you!"

"Fine." Sway swung her feet up onto the dash of the pickup that Rachel was driving. "You let me boost the F40, and I will beat your time."

"Kinda defies the point."

"I bet you my 'vette."

"Ooooooh!" Mirror chuckled from his boost "this is getting interesting."

"Shut up Mirror." Memphis cut in "You'd never give me you 'vette."

"Yes I would," Sway replied, "If I lost. Like you said, a bets a bet."

"This was a bet and you backed out of this."

"No I didn't. I raised the stakes."

Memphis let out a bark of laughter. "Okay you're on. But I want the skirt we talked about earlier too."

"Sure why not." Sway sighed "Throw whatever you want in there, because you _know_ I'm gonna kick you ass."

"We'll see."

"Yes we will. Me and my Amy will see you paying up."

"What am I paying up if I loose then?" Memphis smiled to himself.

"A new bike."

Memphis chuckled a shook his head "It's a bet."

Sway grinned at Rachel and tipped her head back in her seat "Amy here I come baby!"

"Ah! This is so fixed!" Mirror exclaimed. "I knew you'd get her. How come you get all the good cars?!"

"When _you're_ screwing the boss we'll let _you _boost what you want." Sway responded.

Rachel let out a bark of laughter and Memphis cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Okay, no offence Memphis but I'm good." Mirror muttered quickly.

Rachel laughed again.

"Anyway!" Memphis said loudly "Finish up, and everyone back to the garage for the last run. We'll pair up and pick up the last 5 ladies. Bring on the home straight."

Otto sat back and watched as the entire crew gathered for the final time (or so he hoped) in his garage. His chest twinged again, and he resisted the urge to wince. He was far too damn old for all this stress now. When this was over, he was going to sell his share of the garage and set his Junie up a nice little house somewhere. And what's more, he was going to visit the doctor.

Memphis stood quietly, his hands in his pockets, looking out of the doors at the gathering sunlight. 6am. Such a beautiful time of day, he had to start getting up earlier. He'd decided that these few boosts would be their last of the bet, regardless of the two hours of boosting time that still remained. It was too risky to work at such a busy time of day. A flock of birds swooped across the skyline, forming and elegant silhouette. "I have to start getting up earlier" he thought.

For the first time since she arrived, Rachel opted against being alone and strolled over to where Tumbler sat picking idly at his finger nails. He looked up as she approached him, unable to hide the look of dumb shock on his face.

"Hey." She leaned against the wall next to him.

"Hi." He replied disbelief and slight caution in his voice.

"I think I lost my partner to the boss." She nodded over at Sway "Fancy teaming for the last boost?"

"Depends." Tumbler relaxed instantly and grinned up at her.

"On what?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you gonna let me drive?"

"Ha! Don't push it boy scout."

Tumbler laughed.

Sway ran her finger over the piece of paper in her hand and smiled to herself. She had dreamed of getting back in an F40 for such a long time. She was going to love every minute of it. And then, that was it; they could go back to their lives. The apartment, the garage, the touring build. A little twinge of grief for her ruined bike flowed through her. Her dad had left her the money for the Yamaha before he died, she'd always wanted one and it was special to her. Maybe she would really let Memphis buy her a new one, maybe not. Nothing would ever replace that particular bike. It was hard to believe that just over 48 hours ago she'd been riding it, hard to believe that this whole thing had been started by the explosion of one Yamaha R6.One hell of a starters pistol.

End Chapter 23


End file.
